What Friends Are For
by Constipated Genius
Summary: Amidst an era of villainy that threatens to upturn hero society, sometimes, the most enduring force against terror can be something as simple as the friendship shared between the aspiring forces for good. An AU in which two more students are thrown into Class 1-A and face an entirely original set of circumstances that follows only the outline of canon. (Rated M for safety purposes)
1. Season 1 - Starting Line

**Disclaimer:** **WFAF's writing improves exponentially each chapter, as it is my first fic. Give it a chapter or two of a chance to earn your interest, should you have the time!**

* * *

Underneath a thick blanket and the radiant glow of neon lights, a young man began to stir. While the warm lighting that illuminated his dim room was something the messy-haired blond had long since gotten used to, it was the encroaching beams of natural sunlight that had caused him to emerge from his slumber.

As he blinked the sleep from his eyes and tossed his comforter aside, the boy nearly leaped from his bed entirely to prepare for the day as his still somewhat sleep-muddled mind recalled what this particular morning had in store for him.

_'The U.A. entrance exams! I've gotta get ready!' _

His eyes immediately glanced over at toward the soft glow of his clock to note that he woke up a few minutes after his alarm had already sounded. "Oh no…" He muttered, and he hopped along the floor to try and dive into his uniform's pant legs before he bolted into the bathroom – a wispy blue trail left in his wake.

Within mere minutes of waking up and dashing into his bathroom to wash up, the amber-eyed boy was as alert as ever and he was racing down the steps, throwing on the ringed necklace he wore with everything and grabbing ahold of his backpack when the husky voice of his proverbial warden sounded from within the kitchen.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, no small amount of amusement lacing her tone.

Letting his other arm fall from its position half-inside his backpack's other strap, the young man scratched the back of his head. "Well yeah, Mom. I slept in and I don't want to be late to the entrance exams. I can't exactly become a hero if I don't even manage to show up in time, so…" He trailed off, creeping ever closer towards the door.

"Mhm. Well, that doesn't excuse skipping breakfast – you're going to need all your strength for the practical exam, right?" she asked, wheeling herself into view with a tinfoil-covered plate in her lap as she spoke. Crippled though she was, she could still cook.

"Wait… you made breakfast for me?" When he saw the time earlier that morning, he figured that he didn't even have time to grab a granola bar, but with a complete breakfast just waiting for him… maybe he could make the time to eat something. "Thank you, Mom."

He dropped his backpack by the couch and bent over slightly to take the proffered meal and give his mother a hug before he promptly made his way to the table.

"Jomei Nishimura, if there's one thing I learned being a police officer, it's that everyone's better off having something to eat before they go out fighting. So, it's the least I can do to make my son a meal before he tries to get into _U.A._ of all places." She smiled, her hazel eyes lighting up the room as she wheeled herself over to join her son. Unfortunately for her, Jomei had already scarfed down the plate and was headed over to the sink to wash the dishes he'd neglected to clean the other night.

"You know, you could at least let me be in the same room as you for five minutes before you run off to become a hero." She shook her head, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she was reminded just how like his father he was, what with his ability to make up for lost time so effectively.

_'At least he isn't up all night making music…' _She thought to herself.

"Sorry!" Jomei hurriedly apologized, looking at the clock before he dried his hands and ran back over to his backpack. "It was delicious though – and I'll do the rest of the dishes when I get home!" He promised, bending over to give his wheelchair-bound mother another hug before he made his way towards the door.

As he stopped at the door, sensing his mother wasn't quite done with him, he turned around to find her with that same knowing smile she always wore when it came to his dream of becoming a hero. "Don't worry about the dishes – you just focus on that exam. Good luck," she encouraged, earning an appreciative smile from her son as he left with a spring in his step.

* * *

Crossing the threshold into one of the greater residential centers of Musutafu City, Jomei wasted no time in beginning his trip towards U.A. While the academy wasn't too far away from home on foot, today was the day every junior high student came out of the woodwork to see if they had what it took to become a hero. Thus, the streets on this cool morning were both crowded with as many cars as people, and even those going about their ordinary business seemed to be out in greater droves than ever. U.A. was connected to dozens of suppliers and support businesses, so it only made sense for there to be that much more mobilizing of resources in preparation for the upcoming school year. After all, in the world Musutafu City was built in, there was no telling of when supply for just about anything could go through the roof.

_'Maybe I should just go into Light Speed to get there faster? I'm running the risk of being last to arrive as it is.' _He considered, summoning a warm ball of gaseous blues and purples in his hand as he did so. Jomei was just about convinced that it'd be better for him to use his Quirk than arrive almost dead last to orientation; however, he noticed a wolf-looking man being chastised on the other side of the road by some police officers for using his Quirk in public.

While he wasn't aware of what the man had done, Jomei paused and considered the gaseous ball in his hand he'd reflexively brought forth. _'Yeah, probably not a good idea to get myself stopped by Mom's friends while I'm on my way to try and become a hero.' _He thought to himself, and he crushed the ball before quickly entering a brisk jog instead of using his Quirk's speedier application to hasten his journey.

Despite Quirks having been around for generations, with eighty percent of the human population possessing some superhuman trait unique to them, it was still a law in Japan that one simply wasn't allowed to use their Quirk in public. Though now the law was often interpreted with as much seriousness as one not being allowed to ride their bike on the sidewalk, in the early years of the Quirk phenomenon, society was reeling to cope with the appearance of such widely varied abilities, and thus, created the blanket statement against the use of Quirks in public. The law was designed in part to maintain the peace, but the greater purpose of its catch-all nature was to avoid the need for endless addendums and exceptions to the rule. The law had worked wonders for decades, despite the restrictions it placed upon people outside of their homes, for one simple reason – heroes were keeping the peace.

Heroes were one of the only groups of people in Japan that were licensed to use their Quirks in public, and it was for good reason. Whether it be for stopping villains or conducting rescue operations, heroes were the pillars of modern Japan's system of law and order, as well as its chief enforcers. In the face of such new and powerful criminals, heroes were a necessity, and with their help Japan had become one of the most peaceful countries in the modern world – boasting a six percent crime rate compared to the rest of the world's average of twenty. Whether this was because of U.A. High School producing the best heroes the world had ever seen or because the government mandating of Quirk use to stop crime was more effective than the rest of the world's vigilantism, no one knew for certain, but Jomei was determined to become just like the heroes that could be seen every day on TV.

As the aspiring hero was caught at a busy intersection alongside a dozen other pedestrians, Jomei finally paused to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. _'I wonder if Akiko will be there.'_

Akiko Takara was one of Jomei's best friends since before either of them had ever even considered becoming heroes, as well as one of the kindest people he had ever known. Though their relationship was more built by Jomei's outgoing nature than Akiko taking the initiative to keep in touch with him at first due to her somewhat quiet nature, the pair had become thick as thieves over the years as they realized their shared goal of becoming heroes. As such, Jomei was privy to the knowledge that Akiko was just as eager to attend U.A. as he was. The only problem was, U.A. happened to be the most prestigious hero academy in the world, and thousands applied there every year. Jomei considered himself lucky to have had his application for the opportunity to try and get into the school accepted, but with how stringent U.A. was when it came to acceptance rates, mixed with how busy Akiko had been studying the past few weeks, he wasn't even aware of if his best friend had been given the same chance he'd been blessed with.

_'I suppose I'll find out soon enough, huh?' _As the light turned green, he resumed his jog, now just as eager to see if his hopes concerning Akiko were true as he was to try and pass the entrance exams in the first place.

* * *

After a few minutes and some near-misses with fellow pedestrians, U.A.'s four interlocked towers came into view alongside its near-impenetrable security gate. While the building before him was the main schooling and workshop area of the academy, and U.A.'s campus extended for kilometers beyond the bounds of the city, Jomei was still awestruck at the sight of the place. He hadn't even yet been properly accepted into the prestigious academy's ranks, and he was already pumped to see what was in store for him next within the building's storied walls.

Finishing his gawking, Jomei shook his head and whipped out his guest ID provided by U.A. when his application for the entrance exam was accepted. Crossing the threshold of the academy's impenetrable security gate, Jomei readjusted his backpack full of spare clothes all applicants were told to bring, caught his breath, and resumed his journey into U.A. As he drew ever closer and the historic building grew ever grander in its sense of size and importance, the student's heart soared at the hope he'd be one of the lucky few that would find themselves returning here in the future.

Unfortunately, the almost storybook scene before him was ruined as a rather plain-looking green-haired boy looked like he was about to faceplant into the pavement right as Jomei passed him by. _'Well, there he goes,' _he thought to himself, not sparing a second glance the boy's way. _'Wait, there he goes!' _Jomei caught himself, spinning on his heel and preparing to bolt back in the boy's direction to stop him from getting hurt when he realized his concern was for nothing.

The boy was suspended in the air, flailing around as a kind young girl apologized for using her Quirk on him without his permission. Whatever the girl's Quirk was, it'd just saved the now-flustered boy's face from an untimely meeting with the pavement before Jomei's distracted mind could register he was even in trouble.

"So much for quick reflexes, Jomei…" He muttered to himself before he turned back around – it was nearly time for orientation to begin.

Jomei made his way through the hallways in record time, all the while careful not to bump into anyone as he reached the orientation hall. Despite being in such a hurry and so few others being around him on the way to get there, he couldn't help but notice the diverse range of people that filled U.A.'s halls even now. Many were endowed with physical anomalies as a result of their Quirks, ranging from multiple appendages, to pink skin and yellow horns, to an entirely avian head attached to an otherwise perfectly normal-looking body.

What's more, some looked like they'd been training their whole lives for this exam, others carried themselves with attitude, and still others padded around the hallways with barely withheld nerves that Jomei couldn't help but relate to. While he was more than prepared for the practical and written exams, and excited to take them, there was still the ever-present possibility of failure that hovered over him like a cloud. U.A. wasn't known for its low acceptance rate for nothing, after all.

Taking in a steadying breath to calm himself, he opened the door and made his way to his designated seat in the orientation hall, and soon found himself looking around the crowd in search of Akiko. Though he did catch a glimpse of the same green-haired boy shuffling into his seat that he passed by earlier, there was no sign in the crowd of the familiar silhouette of Akiko he'd grown accustomed to. Or at least, nowhere that he could see, since the orientation hall held hundreds of students of varying sizes and shapes.

'_Maybe she got sent to another hall – there's still hope yet.' _Before long, the soft murmur of conversation that had fluttered about the large room began to slow to a stop, and Jomei knew that the instructor, one of U.A.'s very own teachers, had arrived. "I wonder who it could be…" He mused quietly, craning his neck around a six-armed fellow applicant to see. His jaw almost fell to the floor the moment he saw who it was.

In all his larger-than-life, radio talk show host glory, the Pro Hero Present Mic stood at the podium, idly stretching as he prepared for the clock to hit their designated time for orientation. _'Dad's gonna go nuts if he finds out Present Mic is teaching here…'_ Jomei thought to himself.

While not a Pro Hero himself, his father – a traveling DJ acting under the name 'Synth' – always held a sort of half-hearted rivalry with Present Mic. Though the now-Pro Hero had always been an acquaintance of his father before deciding to enroll at U.A., around the same time his father decided to become a DJ, the pair had wordlessly taken their different choices in career as a sort of challenge to see who could become more famous. The sweet irony of it was, despite both giving it their all, they were equally famous as one another in their respective fields, and so their 'rivalry' often boiled down to who could desperately try to one-up the other by grabbing the public's attention. Unfortunately for them, the media didn't pay too much mind to middle-of-the-pack individuals when there were top-tier people like All Might and Synesthesia Auditiva in their fields to fawn over.

It wouldn't be the end of the world if his father found out, sure, but Jomei decided then and there to try and keep the knowledge to himself, and his mother, if she asked. When it came to the pair's rivalry, his mother wanted as desperately as her son to keep the two men's childish rivalry as far away from them as possible, lest either party do or say something that'd result in another round of petty squabbling.

Just as soon as Present Mic had finished applying an inhumane amount of gel to keep his long, spiky blond hair upright, Jomei was struck from his thoughts, the instructor's high-tension voice filling the room. Even without the use of his microphone nor his Quirk, the Pro Hero's voice was more than enough to grab everyone's attention.

"What's up U.A. candidates, thanks for tuning in to me, your school DJ! Come on, and lemme hear ya!" He cheered, turning and holding a hand to his ear only to be met with dead silence. His smile never wavered for a second. _'Was he always like this?'_

"Keeping it mellow huh? That's fine, then lemme skip to the main event. Let's talk about how this practical exam is gonna go down. Are you ready!?" He raved, the massive screen behind him lighting up to begin relaying all the details everyone in the room needed to know.

Adjusting his stylish glasses, Present Mic continued. If nothing else, he was able to read a crowd enough to tell when they weren't about to give in to his enthusiastic persona. "Now listen close, because there's not gonna be a repeat of this track, ya dig?" He began, the presentation shifting behind him, to display an almost video game-like example of the test ahead of them.

As Present Mic relayed the presence of seven battle zones, all including three kinds of mechanical 'faux villains' of varying numbers of points depending on their difficulty to take down, Jomei couldn't help but wonder if he was doomed not to hear or see Akiko again for some time. _'Seven chances for us to not end up in the same zone – and that's if she was even invited here…'_

Quickly, Jomei shook his head and decided to refocus on the task at hand, jotting down some quick notes on the one through three-point difficulty system of the faux villains. Even the single-point targets seemed to be no slouch in terms of sheer size, leading him to assume that a hit-and-run strategy would likely be for the best. Not that he was worried. If there was any strategy he preferred when it came to his fighting style, it was hit-and-run ranged attacks. A small smile crept onto Jomei's lips. _'I can do this! Just some buckets of bolts I don't have to worry about hurting.'_

His confidence only grew as he noted some of his peers' reactions to Present Mic's instruction. Some were just as confident in their skills as him, the spirit of competition beginning to flutter around the room between them, but just as many others were tense with anticipation. At the end of the day, nerves were just as much of an opponent every aspiring hero had to overcome as the faux villains they'd yet to face.

"Just be sure to avoid attacking other test-takers, ya hear? That's a U.A. no-no and will result in your immediate disqualification – so play it heroic-like out there!" Present Mic advised, sounding like he was about to begin closing out his lecture when a student around the middle of the auditorium stood.

"Excuse me sir, but I have a question." He said formally.

"Hit me with what you've got!"

A spotlight illuminated the blue-haired applicant, and though his movements were a bit choppy, his posture was nothing if not perfect. "On the print-out, you've listed four kinds of faux villains, not three." He pointed at the paper, seeming to put on his best Phoenix Wright impression as his voice adopted an accusatory tone. Looking over at his own print-out, Jomei saw that the blue-haired inquirer was indeed correct – there were four faux villains listed there, though he simply assumed that was something Present Mic simply hadn't gotten around to yet.

"With all due respect, if this is an error on _official _U.A. materials, it is _shameful._ We are exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this simply won't do! Additionally, you with the unkempt hair!" He turned around, throwing a finger in the direction of the green-haired boy Jomei had passed earlier. _'Man, can't this guy catch a break?'_

"You've been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can't bother to give this orientation the serious attention it deserves then leave. You're distracting the rest of us!" He proclaimed, turning back to Present Mic as the others around the now-embarrassed applicant laughed quietly.

"He wasn't distracting me…" Jomei muttered, earning a silent shrug of agreement from the six-armed student in front of him. "I'm glad not everyone's a stick in the mud here," he smiled.

"Alright, alright, examinee number seven-one-one-one! Thanks for calling it in with your request! The fourth villain type is worth zero points!" He revealed, throwing his hands enthusiastically into the air as the silhouette of the villain came into view. It certainly looked sturdy, but without any details, there was no telling how large the thing was.

"That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. It's not that it can't be beat, it's just that… there's kind of no point. I recommend my listeners try to ignore it and focus on the ones that are toppin' the charts!"

_'I can't decide if that's just a metaphor or if he's being passive-aggressive towards Dad even when he isn't around…'_ Jomei thought, giving the print-out another look.

"Thank you very much, please continue." The blue-haired student said, giving a courteous bow before he sat back down, and the spotlight faded.

Present Mic shrugged. "That's all I've got for today – but I'll sign off with a little present. A sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once wrote down; "a hero is one that can overcome life's misfortunes." Mhm, now that's a tasty little soundbite. Now… you ready to go beyond? Let's hear a plus ultra!"

Not a single peep was heard from the crowd as everyone began gathering their things.

"It'd be treason if I did…" Jomei joked to himself, though he did earn a confused look from the silent, six-armed applicant one row down. "It's a long story." He dismissed, and when the taller man turned back to his own things, Jomei was headed towards the door.

"Good luck! Hope you practiced hitting more than just books!"

* * *

As all applicants were instructed to prior to arriving at U.A., after initial orientation, everyone found their way to the locker rooms and swiftly changed into whatever spare clothes they had on hand. With the amount of damage and havoc that was expected to occur in the practical exam, everyone had been well-advised to bring something with them that they could expect to have damaged or dirtied without much bother. Some of the more wealthy and egotistical people present wore custom-made gear that would likely serve as a cornerstone of their potential hero costumes, but most found themselves in whatever gym clothes they'd been using in junior high.

Akiko massaged her hands after she finished stretching, trying to center herself in the present and cast away her worries about the endless 'what ifs' that'd been running through her head since she arrived at U.A. Though Present Mic had done his best to keep the mood light and encourage everyone to do their best, being surrounded by so many capable others reminded her just how much competition she had to go through to even have a chance of becoming a hero. Couple the crowd with the intimidatingly tall concrete walls of Battle Center A, and it was everything she could do to remind herself how long she'd been training and studying to get where she was today.

With the final handfuls of aspiring heroes assigned to the battle zone still filtering in, it was reasonable to assume that there were still a few minutes to prepare. While most were busying themselves with idle conversation or verbal flexing, Akiko was one of the few still both mentally and physically preparing themselves for the exam to come.

_'You're going to be fine, Akiko. You've been training for years for this exact moment. Just remember your training, and don't overdo it. Besides, it's not like you're the only person in this whole place who's stressed.' _She thought, her gaze drifting towards a somewhat tired and thin-looking examinee with indigo hair who looked as nervous as she did. Although he hid it well beneath a stoic mask, Akiko knew from the beads of sweat that rolled down his temples that he was internally reeling as much as she was.

"Akiko? I knew you'd be accepted for the exams!"

Before she could even turn around, Akiko knew who'd called out her name. She didn't need to see who spoke to know that her best friend had been assigned to the same battle center as her. As much as U.A. had tried to avoid assigning people who knew one another to the same battle center, with the popularity of hero teams on the rise, it was now left to chance who ended up where during the practical exam. Luckily for her, this random chance worked out in her favor – this time.

"Jomei!" She exclaimed, a small smile crossing her lips as some of the tension she'd been feeling drained away at the sight of a familiar face eagerly headed her way. "Sorry I haven't stayed in touch – I wanted to make sure I was really ready for this." She apologized sheepishly when her friend finally reached her.

Jomei simply clapped her on the shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry about it! I'm just glad you got this far. You've kinda been working your butt off for this chance, so I don't blame you for focusing on preparing instead of texting."

The purple-haired girl let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. But how'd you find me? There's like… dozens of people here." She said, gesturing to the small crowd of others around them.

"Crystal core, remember? Kinda shimmers in broad daylight even more than my necklace." He responded, pointing at the crystal embedded in Akiko's chest that even now glittered from the sunlight overhead before gesturing to his necklace in turn.

"Right." Akiko suppressed the urge to slap her forehead, though she chalked up her forgetfulness to the nerves of the moment. As she folded up the cuffs of her sweatshirt and continued massaging her hand, Jomei quickly picked up on his friend's distress. Even if she wasn't visibly somewhat anxious, the way her mismatched eyes were pointed downward – more than they usually were, anyway – was enough to tell him something was wrong.

It wasn't hard for him to discern exactly what it was that had her psyched out, either. Years of knowing Akiko had informed him of her tendency to doubt herself when it came to her desire to be a hero, and he knew when to pick and choose when to discuss her anxiety. The best thing he could do right now was lighten the mood – even if he didn't get her to stop stressing right away, it would only help her to be more focused when the practical exam began.

"So, do you wanna guess who my orientation was led by?" Jomei began, idly stretching his legs and rolling his arms.

Akiko stopped massaging her hand and looked at Jomei. "Mine was led by Cementoss, and I didn't catch you there, so… wait, don't tell me it was Midnight." She cringed, all too familiar with how the Pro Hero fought with attraction as much as she did her Quirk.

"Nope. Though that would've been interesting! It was _Present Mic_." Jomei enunciated with a grin.

Akiko's mouth fell agape. "No way, I didn't know he taught here! Wouldn't your dad flip if he found out his arch-nemesis got a job here?" While her anxiety was far from gone, a good distraction never failed to help her forget, if only for a moment, how worried she was about the trial ahead of them.

"It's very likely. Which is why I'm going to keep this news between you, me, and my mom if she asks who conducted orientation." As he finished his stretches, the blond rose to his full height and pointed to his friend and himself in kind.

Akiko's small smile returned. "Good idea. I don't know how you and your mom put up it, with how often you've told me he goes on about Present Mic sometimes."

"Eh, you get used to it – but that isn't gonna stop us from trying to avoid it when we can."

A companionable silence settled between them for a few moments before Akiko spoke again, her smile adopting an apologetic undertone. "Thanks for finding me, by the way. I know I can get all wrapped up in my own head sometimes – sorry you had to drag me out of that."

"It's no big deal, Akiko. But, if you're still feeling bugged out over this whole exam thing, how about we try and turn it into something fun?" He proposed, hands on his hips as a wry grin found its way onto his face.

The older applicant rolled her eyes, the last remnants of her tension being forced back to the recesses of her mind as her thoughts drifted to what 'fun' often could mean for Jomei. "What do you have in mind?"

"This whole thing is like a video game with the points, right? So, I say that we see who can get more points on the exam between you and me – winner gets bragging rights." He extended a hand, and behind him, the rest of the would-be students were striking ready-for-action poses in preparation for the exam's start. An aura of wispy blues, purples, and faint glimpses of reds began to flow around Jomei. "You in?"

"Just don't do anything crazy, okay? I don't want you getting hurt." She said, shaking Jomei's hand. As she turned to face the grand steel gates of the battle center alongside him, she couldn't help but recall how often his overconfidence with his Quirk got him hurt in some way when he was testing out some new technique or stunt with it. While she was more than willing to embrace the distraction of their friendly challenge, she still cared too much about others' safety to let Jomei endanger himself for no good reason.

"Are you ready listeners? This show's about to start!" Present Mic's voice clearly boomed from atop one of the battle center's observation towers, even though he was well over a hundred meters up above them – still not even using his Quirk. "Now here are some last-minute tips for ya," he continued, and before anyone knew it, most of the crowd were readying themselves for action.

"One – don't attack your fellow applicants." Jomei entered a low runner's stance, ready to sprint the moment that the exam began. Beside him, an examinee with long arms and cylindrical elbows rolled his shoulders and seemed to focus his attention skyward.

"Two – take down those faux villains to earn some groovy points!" Akiko closed her eyes and opened them, her hair turning crimson alongside her crystal core at the same time her eyes appeared to shift into a mismatched pair of reds of their own. Beside her, Jomei's eyes began to glow brightly with the same colors that were beginning to surround him.

"And three – there are no countdowns in real battles, so go, go, go! Time to hit the music!"

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Soooo… as you may or may not have gathered… this is likely gonna be my first attempt at a full-blown, third-person story on this site. I adore my previous projects, but as Iridescence taught me, writing about characters I endear myself to so greatly via the medium of third person is something I want to experience so much more! That having been said, I'm not exactly gonna go back and rewrite ToTI a third time – its style and its relation to its supplementary fic will remain as-is. Both because of the potential workload, and the fact I'm still not sure how to write combat competently – if you want some high-class literary combat, go investigate Dunedan and EbonySum on this site. They're my literary inspirations and some heccin' nice people! Cheers!**

**PS: Just a disclaimer… I'm ah… probably not going to be the most rapid uploader of content you've ever seen. With all my other, less intense projects, I had the whole thing done and just paced out my uploads from there but with this? This is going to be my first **_**active**_** ordeal of a fic. So, ah… probably don't expect the speediest of updates. That's what the rest of the community's talented authors are for, eh?**

**PPS: This fic's writing gets _way _better as time goes on. Looking back, I kinda exponentially get better each chapter. As of 12/18/19 though, I think I'm pretty steady with my quality now! If nothing else, this first chapter's sorta a cool milestone to mark where my real writing style began to form!**


	2. Entrance Exams

As the titanic doors of Battle Center A opened, Jomei was one of the first of the aspiring heroes to blaze into the urban sprawl within, leaving a stream of neon colors and no small number of his competitors in his wake. The battle center was designed with the goal of recreating as realistic a setting for fighting villains as possible; and so, the kilometers of area were a painstakingly accurate recreation of some city districts throughout Japan. For some, that meant they had familiarity with the layout, but for most, the concrete jungle was just another hurdle to overcome on their way to becoming heroes.

'_Feels good to go this fast again!' _Looking behind him, Jomei saw that he wasn't the only one leaving the competition in the dirt. The same lean guy with cylindrical elbows he saw before the exam's start was swinging from rooftop to rooftop behind him, and only barely not overtaking Jomei himself. _'Wait. Are those tape dispensers? In his elbows!? What the heck is that stuff made of!?'_

The large-toothed tape-slinger came up beside him, panting as he tried to keep up with Jomei but smiling all the same. "Your Quirk looks pretty cool! But let's see who can find those villains first!" He panted, falling behind for only a split second before swinging rapidly onto a nearby skyscraper's rooftop where he was sure to have a great view of the battle center.

Before he could even process what had just happened, Jomei heard an explosion behind him. _'Could it be the faux villains?' _He wondered excitedly, readying himself to slow down and earn some points when another explosion sounded, and then another, and another still.

"DIE!"

As the heat of another blast raced towards him, a sandy-haired blond sailed through the air ahead of Jomei, a wolfish grin plastered on his face as he let out another explosion that granted him renewed speed. Every one of the explosions he let out from his palms was punctuated by equally non-heroic words, though he didn't seem particularly interested in hurting anyone; rather, he simply seemed to be too busy enjoying the thrill of using his Quirk to care about what he said or did during the exam.

Where others would've seen the sudden presence of such skilled competition as a threat, Jomei only smiled and continued sprinting forward in Light Speed – he always had enjoyed a challenge. Noble gases raced out of Jomei's pores to enshroud him in an aura of glowing lights, with most of what his body generated being moved beneath his feet or ejected behind him to give him a large boost to his speed. A few dozen seconds and a few hundred meters later, and Jomei had found his first targets while many other would-be students were still trying to figure out where the faux villains were.

The pair of scorpion-like two-point faux villains registered his presence and prepared themselves to engage, but Jomei was faster, leaping into the air with a burst of condensed glowing purples. Out of their reach, he pointed his palm towards the villain and let out a small beam of similar light. As it glanced off the faux villain's chassis and Jomei landed behind them, the blond was forced to leap backwards to prevent one of the robot's stingers from hitting him.

'_So, they aren't as fragile as the one-pointers looked, huh?' _He mused, right as one of the pair of villains charged at him, pincers raised. Jomei dodged and resumed his Light Speed sprint, using his momentum to leap off a nearby building's wall into the air. Though his first attack was just to scout out how durable his foes were, he wasn't about to underestimate the machine's armor again.

"Try this on for size!" He shouted, his palm facing outwards once again. "Phosphor Beam!"

Despite the serious nature of the exam he was in the middle of taking, Jomei couldn't help but grin as he announced the move's name. The first time he had explained it to Akiko, she had made a joke about how ridiculous it was that he had given a special name to a move that was just a more concentrated version of his most basic attack. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him from relishing in the freedom to use it unrestricted in a combat setting.

This time, a thicker beam raced out from his palm, sailing through the air with the precision of a laser and punching clean through the closer villain's armor. Jomei wasted no time with a follow up, landing and rolling onto one knee before sending another beam right into the remaining villain's head. The machinery contained within flickered before going dim, and its body crumbled to the ground with the sound of crashing metal and fragile parts.

"Alright!" He shouted, a spring in his step as he surrounded himself again in glowing lights. It didn't take long to take out those first two targets, sure, but if he wanted to beat Akiko and make it into U.A., he needed to go all-out.

As time wore on, Jomei's sheer speed and hit-and-run tactics seemed to give him an edge over many other examinees. Where many of them had to take their time to locate faux villains of their own, Jomei's trial and error method of finding points seemed to be working for him. After his initial encounter with the pair of two-point villains, the aspiring hero was nearly constantly acquiring quick one-point pickups. Unlike their two-point counterparts, the crablike one-point villains' armor was weak enough for Jomei to send a beam through and disable the things without even needing to exit his Light Speed to use his more taxing Phosphor Beams. The sheer number of targets he was running into and taking down was all well and good, but when Present Mic announced that there were seven minutes left in the exam, Jomei felt himself running even faster to try and find more valuable targets. _'I can't get into U.A. if all I'm able to find is one-point villains! Where could the bigger ones be?'_

Right as he finished his thought, Jomei heard what sounded like a rocket being launched behind him. _'Well then.'_

He rolled out of the way just in time to see the small rocket go screaming by him, exploding against a nearby building but lacking in any deadly force. Though it wasn't unheard of for people to get seriously injured in U.A.'s reckless entrance exams, it seemed that the institution was at least sane enough to avoid using live warheads against their would-be students.

As soon as he had avoided the blast, Jomei twisted on his heel and unleashed a Phosphor Beam in the direction of the quadrupedal three-point villain. It hit its mark, but the machine continued to function with only a minor dent in its armor. Its eyes glowed red as it prepared another rocket. Jomei resumed his Light Speed dash and dodged the sluggish faux villain's counterattack as he planned his next move._ 'So, this is like a video game, right Jomei? Then all I should have to do is get a clean shot on the thing's glowing weak spot and it'll go down easy – that, or I could just keep up the heat on one spot and melt through its armor. Whichever comes first.'_

Bounding off a nearby building like he had the scorpion-like faux villains, Jomei raised his arm just as he did before to prepare another, stronger Phosphor Beam. The bulky machine was still turning around, and he was lining up a shot as he heard a familiar fierce cry coming from down the street. "Die, bastard!"

'_Oh.'_

Jomei quickly pointed both of his arms down and let out a stream of glowing, wispy blues to keep himself suspended in the air and pushed himself in the opposite direction from where the voice sounded like it was coming from. As the anticipated explosion caused the faux villain to shatter, the tall blond was flying behind the source of the explosion – that same sandy-haired boy from before was breathing heavily where the faux villain used to be, but otherwise seemed none the worse for wear. Jomei landed behind the stranger after cutting off the stream supporting him in the air.

"You know, I was just about to take that thing down," Jomei said, his arms crossed.

The sandy-haired blond's ego suddenly made itself known. He pointed at Jomei without even looking at him directly, making it clear he saw anyone and everyone else as beneath him. "Ha! Don't make me laugh! You were running scared until I got here! How about you do me a favor and get lost, extra? You don't wanna get in my way!" He shouted, crouching and propelling himself in the direction of a crowd of still-standing faux villains before Jomei could respond.

"So that's how you're gonna be, huh?" Jomei thought aloud. Looking at the wreckage of the three-point villain and noticing how the explosive guy rocketed off in the direction of nothing but one and two-point villains, a smile crossed his lips and a new coat of glowing colors surrounded him as he ran in pursuit. _'I can knock out two bird with one stone if this works – a ton of points and showing this guy up. He thinks he's so good?' _Jomei thought as he caught up with the shorter blond, who was now running on foot to close the distance between himself and the faux villains.

"Watch this!"

Jomei didn't wait to see the other boy's reaction, and instead ran ahead of his competition before skidding to a halt in front of the crowd of faux villains. As the machines' basic programming was only beginning to register his presence, Jomei braced himself and outstretched his arms. Bright purple and blue gases escaped his pores, washing over him as he prepared a decisive _– _albeit somewhat needlessly flashy _– _strike against the villains.

The taller blond simply smiled as he began his assault. His tensed arms pulsed with each rapid discharge of his Phosphor Beams, and the vulnerable crowd of faux villains were being picked apart before any could even hope to counter. The salvo of blue and purple blasts punched through the one-point villains' armor like glass, and the two-point villains were torn apart by glowing, almost beautifully neon explosions punctuated by the sound of their shattering machinery.

As his assault ended, Jomei let the tension throughout his body dissolve with the wind. He'd just stolen four times what his opponent had him, and by the look on his now-livid competition's face, likely won his contempt as well. Not that he cared. If he wanted to brag and show off, then Jomei was more than happy to match the other examinee's obvious ego.

"How about that? Pretty good for an extra, huh?" Jomei pointed out, smiling cockily like the other boy had a mere handful of moments ago.

The red-eyed blond simply growled and clenched his fists before crouching down again. "Stay out of my way or I'll hurt you so bad you'll never walk again!" He shouted, letting out a roar as he catapulted himself in the direction of the few faux villains to be seen for blocks around.

Jomei was nearly knocked off his feet from the blast that the boy had let out, though he didn't mind the sudden departure. As the dust cleared, Jomei was hunched over and supporting his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

While he'd practiced using his Quirk plenty over the years, the amber-eyed examinee never had an opportunity to use it in a serious fight before. Coupled with how his pores could hardly keep up with the demand of unleashing rapid-fire Phosphor Beams against a crowd, and how he'd never had the freedom to go all-out before, and Jomei considered himself lucky to simply be pausing for breath and not out of energy entirely. _'Well, I may have pissed him off, but at least that's easily another 12 points I got there.'_

"Run, run, run, listeners! There's only five minutes left in the practical exam!" Present Mic's voice boomed from seemingly all directions.

Jomei nodded to himself, finally having recovered his breath, and surrounded himself in neon colors once again before entering Light Speed in pursuit of the hot-headed boy that'd left him behind. "I may be tired, but I'm not done yet! I'm winning this thing!" He cheered, his mind wandering even as another faux villain came into view in the distance.

'_I wonder how Akiko's doing…?'_

* * *

From within one of the main observation towers of the practical exam, a well-endowed woman in a form-fitting leotard and bodysuit that left nothing to the imagination licked her lips. "Well, this year's examinees certainly are… lively, aren't they?" She observed, throwing a sultry look towards the pale-skinned man beside her.

Her messy black-haired colleague merely grunted in response, his patience having been pushed to its limits with the woman's constant flirtatious behavior. To him, it was not only illogical to be so focused on innuendo at all times _– _regardless of its tactical use in battle, in her case _–_ but it held no place among professionals. Not when they had a job to do. The man moved one of his bangs out of the way of his face and glared at his colleague.

"If you're going to implicate something that could get you thrown in jail, Midnight, pick a time and place. We're on the clock here, so at least act like you have something better to do than flirt." He reprimanded, sinking into the cloth of his scarf as he focused his attention elsewhere.

"Well, you're no fun," Midnight pouted, crossing her arms dramatically over her chest.

In addition to keeping track of scores from the beginning of the practical exam via their faux villains' transmissions, U.A.'s staff always made sure to observe, through their hidden cameras, what exactly their would-be students were made of. A large part of this was to scope out potential problem students, sure, but in a more general sense, the careful observation allowed the educators to analyze the next generation of heroes' strengths and weaknesses – both mental and physical. Though the latter was something any of the Pro Heroes in the room could analyze on their own, it was the former's analysis that often fell to the principal's Quirk, High Spec. There was something to be said about the genetically modified mouse that led U.A., that his Quirk allowed him such intuitive knowledge of others that most Pro Heroes could only dream of, but at the same time, never gave anyone a reason to worry about his overanalysis.

As always, Principal Nezu remained ever calm and collected in his seat, despite his mind racing to decipher the meaning behind every motion, every facial expression, of the examinees on the room's array of displays. In between him and Midnight sat Snipe – one of the few western heroes to remain in Japan after attending U.A. to acquire their hero license, Snipe was nothing if not up-front and cordial about his thoughts.

Letting out a sigh as he witnessed his colleagues' antics beside him, the cowboy adjusted his hat before leaning in towards Principal Nezu. "Those two maniacs aside, I think we've got a good class of first-years ahead of us." He offered, a cautious smile growing beneath his gas mask.

Nezu then turned calmly to face his colleague, nearly hitting the Snipe in the face with his pointed muzzle, but not seeming to register the near-miss as he nodded in agreement.

"Indeed," he began, his attention turning to a display of a girl with a crystal in her chest punching jabs of fire towards some one-point villains, "They're already displaying technique rivaling or outright surpassing last year's."

His attention then turned to another monitor displaying a pair of blonds fighting faux villains nearby one another. Both fought with powerful Quirks that made short work of their targets, though where one used overwhelming force to shatter his marks, the taller of the two seemed to channel his Quirk into colorful, narrow beams. Whether this was simply a difference in technique between the two or an indicator of their preference in combat at large, Nezu was still quickly figuring that out. "Though their restraint could use some work," he observed.

Snipe looked at the same pair of examinees Nezu was analyzing and shrugged. "Fair enough. Those two aside, between every examinee's ability to handle pressure, act in combat physically, and gather intel on their opponent's whereabouts, I can't say I'm looking forward to judging who's on the chopping block. There aren't a lot of first year classes that I can say have had such a close lineup in the practical exams, that's for sure."

Nezu nodded again, paying close attention to the amount of time left on the clock. "Agreed. And I get the feeling that the competition is only going to get closer as the year progresses – this is just the starting line for those that make it through, after all." He turned to face one of the technicians working in the pits below them, "I think it's time we observed how they deal with a true obstacle, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. It's always this part that weeds out the real heroes from the wannabes, isn't it?" Snipe recollected, sitting up straight in his seat as the head technicians of each battle zone unleashed their examinees' greatest adversary.

* * *

"Three minutes remaining in the exam, listeners!" Present Mic shouted, his voice echoing around the barren streets that Akiko found herself running through.

'_Come on, where could they be? They were everywhere before!'_

Up until this point, Akiko had endured no trouble in finding a wide variety of faux villains to take down. Though most of them were one-point villains with only the odd two-pointer mixed in, it was the speed and skill by which Akiko took them down that she cautiously considered herself to be doing well. With how detrimental going overboard with her Quirk could be for her, maintaining a steady pace of accruing points was what she saw as the best plan of attack to try and pass the practical exam – to speak nothing of her competition with Jomei.

"There!" She shouted, finding another two-point faux villain in one of the less-explored, but now increasingly populated, parts of the battle center. It turned to face her, striking up a defensive stance with its stinger and pincers raised warningly. Getting close was out of the question, sure, but Akiko was familiar enough with the machines by now to know just the right way to eliminate her opponent.

'_Two jabs and a fire stream should be enough – slow and steady, Akiko.' _With her plan formed in her head, Akiko raised her fists and executed it with practiced, fluid grace.

The first of the jabs of fire that emerged from her fist simply grazed the villain's armor and forced the machine to consider going on the offensive – the second, more powerful fireball leaving a heated mark on its pincer was what pushed it over the edge. Rather than continue sustaining damage that would eventually melt its armor entirely, the faux villain began charging at Akiko. Unfortunately, it was moving faster than Akiko had anticipated, and she was forced to thrust herself into the air with the assistance of some jets of flame from her feet.

Not wasting any time to scold herself for the oversight, Akiko whirled around as soon as she landed, planting her foot firmly on the ground as she prepared a deadly gout of flame. The two-point adversary skidded along the asphalt as it tried to turn around and continue its offensive, but it was too late. By the time it had managed to stop, Akiko had already launched her attack and the machine's vulnerable eyes were shattered by the ensuing inferno.

She had no time to mull over her small victory, as Present Mic called out to the examinees once again. "Two minutes remaining, listen-"

The Pro Hero's cheer was cut off by the sound of concrete shattering under some monolithic force, shrapnel and boulders flying towards the crowd of examinees that had filtered into the area in search of villains. Soon after the dust settled and the aspiring heroes were able to see clearly, a cacophony of shocked sounds rippled throughout the crowd as a towering faux villain blotted out the sun above them. It stood at the same height as most of the skyscrapers that surrounded it, and aside from its colossal scale and thick armor, its only distinguishing feature was the large zero painted on its torso.

'_Wait, so _this_ is what they meant by an obstacle? Isn't this going a bit overboard, U.A.?!'_

Akiko and many of the examinees began to run in the opposite direction of the titanic faux villain, but as it began an earthshaking step towards them, the young woman caught a glimpse of a familiar indigo-haired boy frozen in fear before the machine's sheer size. Skidding to a halt, Akiko didn't think twice before she found herself sprinting back in the direction of her fellow examinee. _'No, no, no, with how close he is to that thing, he'll get crushed!'_

"Get out of there!" She shouted, but it was no use. The indigo-haired boy was utterly petrified, and he didn't even register Akiko's presence as she began closing the final few meters between them. The zero-point obstacle's foot cast a dark shadow over the pair, and as she realized the stranger was only just snapping out of his daze, Akiko was forced to act quickly. Though she wanted to avoid having to go overboard, when it came to someone else's life, she was willing to sacrifice her well-being in a heartbeat.

Her hair and crystal core shifted to an emerald green, her mismatched eyes adopting their own take on the color simultaneously as she leapt forward, landing on one knee before she thrusted her fists skyward. In a flash, six columns of earth sprouted out of the ground, meeting the zero-point faux villain's foot and stopping it only a few moments before the pair of examinees would've been crushed. As the indigo-haired boy beside her suddenly snapped to attention, realizing that someone had saved him, Akiko didn't waste a second.

As the columns that had prevented their untimely demise began to crack under the weight of the machine above them, Akiko whirled around and grabbed the stranger she just saved. "What are you doing?!" He shouted.

"Saving you!" Akiko said, pulling the indigo-haired stranger to the ground next to her.

Akiko turned and, with a stomp into the asphalt below, summoned a wave of earth beneath them and sent it surging forth. Guiding it with movements resembling long, flowing strides, neither of the pair even looked behind them as the protection they'd been hiding under was crushed into dust – not until they were well on their way to safety. After noticing the sweat that beaded up around Akiko's forehead and the look of extreme concentration on her face, the messy-haired boy avoided speaking out of fear that the wave of earth beneath him would send him flying if he distracted his rescuer.

As her grip on the earth beneath them loosened and the wave petered out, the indigo-haired boy went skidding across the asphalt as Akiko rode out the wave to its end point. Falling back to where the boy had stopped, she knelt before him – only to be shoved away angrily.

"Hey, look I'm just trying to make sure you aren't-" She began, her hands raised placatingly as the boy rose to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Hurt? I'm fine," he huffed out, "Now get out my way, I need to get moving so I can-"

"Times up!" Present Mic's voice cheerfully declared, sirens signaling the end of the practical exam sounding all around the battle center.

Now facing away from her, the boy seemed to deflate an almost imperceptible amount, and began walking off without another word back towards the entrance of the battle center. As Akiko trailed behind him and began thinking about why he reacted the way he did, something clicked.

"Wait… you don't think you passed… do you?" She inquired gently.

Though Akiko couldn't see it, the disgruntled look on the boy's face only deepened. "Shut up." He seethed, quickly picking up his pace so that he would be lost in the crowd of examinees headed back towards the entrance. Before Akiko could even respond, he was gone.

'_So that's a yes.' _Akiko thought, sheepishly rubbing her forearm. As the crowd drew further ahead of her, her pace slowed to a stop, and the aspiring hero's features returned to their normal purple colors. Even though she'd done what she thought was right, she still somehow managed to sabotage someone else's efforts. _'But what was I supposed to do, let him get crushed? A hero wouldn't just leave someone in danger just because there are other things to do! Right?'_

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him, dear."

After the younger girl recovered from reeling in shock at the response to her unspoken question, Akiko looked down to notice a short, friendly-looking elderly woman smiling up at her. She was dressed in a typical doctor's lab coat with a red visor over her eyes, and only barely leaned on her cane for support – which just so happened to look exactly like the syringe that was holding up her grey hair styled into a bun. Evidently, while Akiko was wrapped up in her own head, the 'youthful heroine' had walked right up to her and, after seeing the indigo-haired boy's interaction with Akiko, picked up on exactly what the girl was thinking.

"Recovery Girl!" Akiko exclaimed, dropping into a courteous bow, "What are you doing here?"

"Why, checking everyone for injuries, of course! How else do you think U.A. can host such dangerous entrance exams every year? But enough about me," the Pro Hero answered, "Looks like you got hurt there, didn't you?" She asked, concern etching her face as she pointed her cane towards Akiko's chest.

The aspiring hero looked down, and it was true. In the middle of saving the purple-eyed boy from the zero-point villain, Akiko had pressed her Quirk beyond what it allowed her to do safely, and a small fracture had appeared in her crystal core as a result. It was only thanks to adrenaline that Akiko didn't feel the soreness that was just beginning to make itself known in her chest when she surpassed her limitations.

"Don't worry there, dear! We'll get you fixed up in no time!" Recovery Girl continued, and before Akiko could even respond, her lips were extending forward to kiss the younger girl on the hand she'd taken into her own. As soon as the elderly woman's lips made contact, Akiko could feel a soothing warmth flow through her being, and the fracture in her chest disappeared in mere moments thanks to Recovery Girl's healing Quirk.

"Uhm… thanks," Akiko replied awkwardly, suppressing the urge to rub off the feeling of the older woman's lips on her hand on her shirt. Even though the soreness in her chest was resolved before she ever really felt it, the consternated look that had adorned her face before Recovery Girl's arrival quickly returned in full force.

"What's wrong?" The nurse asked, taking note of the Akiko's expression, "You just saved that boy back there! You were a real hero! And that deserves real praise." Though the elderly woman's tone of voice hinted at some deeper meaning she couldn't quite place, Akiko was quickly convinced she was overthinking things as Recovery Girl fetched an assortment of gummies out of her pocket.

As Akiko accepted and stuffed the proffered treats into her pocket, she sighed. "I know, but he just looked so… angry. I feel like he thinks I wasted his time, but… I just did what I thought was right and he hates me for it."

Recovery Girl shook her head. "I don't think so. A lot of folks get frustrated when they don't think they've done well on the practical exam. Whatever his reason for being so snippy with you was, I know that it isn't because you got in his way."

A thoughtful silence drifted between the two women, and a boy covered in cuts and a few bruises with tape lazily dragging behind him appeared behind Akiko. "Well, that's my cue to be off! A nurse's job is never done, after all." Recovery Girl chirped before she walked off in the direction of the now dramatically-collapsed examinee. "Oh, but I hope to see you again! What you did for that boy was real hero material, in my book!" She called over her shoulder.

As Akiko turned back towards the entrance of Battle Center A, she nodded to herself and began a brisk jog in the direction the boy she rescued had gone in. Though she could've very well gone and searched for Jomei to see which one of them won their competition, there was still a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that told her she should seek the indigo-haired boy out. _'If he doesn't want to talk to me when I find him, fine, but… maybe he'll be better off hearing what I have to say.'_

* * *

Thanks to the sheer volume of examinees making their way out of the battle center, Akiko's task of finding the tired-looking boy she'd saved mere minutes prior became much harder than she'd hoped it would be. Between the crowd itself and the fact he'd left her in the dust when he stormed off, Akiko could only hope to locate him before he got back to the men's locker room to change for the written exam – at that point, it'd be nigh-on impossible for her to find him again. She could always ask Jomei for help, but this was an affair she thought was best left to her own, more tender way of approaching delicate issues such as this.

After a frantic search that felt like it lasted half an hour, Akiko caught a glimpse of the messy-haired boy. Even though she could only see the back of his head as she approached him, it was clear that he looked drained, if not utterly defeated for reasons he never did make clear. Despite the volatile reaction he originally snapped at her with, when he noticed her silently keeping pace behind him, he stopped and let out a sigh.

"What do you want?" He asked tiredly over his shoulder.

Akiko fought the urge to nervously fidget under his scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, I… I know that you're frustrated for whatever reason about the practical exam, but… I just wanted to let you know that even if you don't think you may have passed…" She paused, the exasperated look on his face as he turned around telling her she was treading on thin ice.

"This doesn't have to be the end." When the indigo-haired boy didn't end up interrupting, she continued. "You may still make it into U.A. – even if it's not in the field you wanted. There's always a chance things will work out."

As he silently turned back around, Akiko braced herself for a scathing insult or other such remark, but to her surprise, nothing of the sort came. "What's your name, hero?" He asked, looking up at the sky.

Akiko couldn't decide if he called her a hero just to be facetious, or if he meant it as a compliment, but answered regardless. Exchanging names was better than him lashing out at her, at least. "My name? Takara. Takara Akiko," she managed, "And yours?"

"Well, Takara. It might be nice having a flashy Quirk to become a hero with, but some of us…? Some of us don't have it so lucky." He said bitterly. Taking a step forward, he stopped himself. "And Takara? It's Shinso. Shinso Hitoshi." He added, walking off before Akiko could process what had just happened.

Despite the implied disdain he held towards Akiko for her Quirk, judging by how he introduced himself and didn't snap at her again, Akiko considered her attempt to raise Shinso's spirits a minor success. If nothing else, though he may not have found some miraculous faith in himself, he at least didn't seem to be as consternated, or as flagrantly hostile towards her, as he was before. As she watched Shinso make his way back towards the main campus, Akiko heard the familiar sound of someone making their way towards her, but didn't look away from the now-shrinking form of the indigo-haired boy in the distance.

"What's with him?" Jomei asked, the last wisps of purple fluttering away from him telling Akiko that he'd been running around at Light Speed in search of her. Clearly, he'd at least seen the last of the pair's exchange before his presence made itself known.

"Did you see the zero-point faux villain when it came out? Around the two-minute mark?" Akiko asked, turning to face Jomei.

The blond's eyes narrowed in confusion, but he nodded regardless. "Yeah, was a bit busy running and looking for other villains to focus on to get a good look at that thing though. What about it?"

"I ended up using emerald mode to save him from being crushed by it, and as it turns out, he was already pretty frustrated with how he was doing on the practical exam before I robbed him of his last two minutes," Akiko explained, scratching the back of her head.

"Wait, what!? You stopped that thing from crushing him!? So that means you weren't bragging when you told me you could probably lift a building with emerald mode?"

Akiko touched the tips of her fingers together. "I mean, yeah… I probably _could_, but then I'd be running the risk of overdoing it and damaging my crystal core. I actually did back when I saved Shinso – just didn't notice it until Recovery Girl pointed it out and healed me."

Jomei nodded, throwing his arms behind his head as the pair began a leisurely stroll back in the direction of the main campus. "Good thing that your crystal core can grow back, huh?"

"It wouldn't be a hero-worthy Quirk if I was out of action forever because of one lousy fracture, now would it? Besides, it heals faster than the rest of me, so I probably would've been fine by the time the written exam started, what with how small the fracture was and all."

"Fair enough. I guess we both lucked out when it came to our Quirks huh? I'd probably be a mess if I didn't resist radiation." Jomei shuddered.

"You'd be a mess if your mom didn't meet your dad. Noble gases out of her pores, your dad being able to use those gases in his performances… if either of them was missing from the equation, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be cut out to be a hero like you are now."

"Tell me about it – though your Quirk is awesome too, even if you don't come up with cool names for your attacks like me," he said jokingly. "Didn't you say it was the end point of like, generations of your mom and dad's families coming together?"

Akiko nodded. While it was true that marriages were sometimes arranged in an attempt have children with Quirks stronger than those of their parents, Akiko's were fortunate enough to have married for the same reason Jomei's did – love. That having been said, the long history of her father's family having elemental Quirks and her mother's being empowered by gemstones in some way or another all but _guaranteed_ that Akiko and her older brother would be born with powerful Quirks of their own.

Nonetheless, it did truly boil down to a lucky pairing that Akiko's Quirk ended up being what it was today – a crystalline core in her chest that could turn into a variety of gemstones, all endowing her with some supernatural ability or another to do with as she saw fit. Whereas her older brother, Takai, saw this as an easy way to support the family's jewelry business by having his core chipped at from time to time, Akiko desired to explore the applications of her Quirk to try and become a hero. Although this met some resistance from her family, what with their small disconnection from the common folk thanks to their wealth, Akiko was determined to emulate the selflessness of heroes she'd seen rise to the challenge throughout the years.

"Yep," Akiko confirmed, "Man, it feels so good to talk about our Quirks without Shimo-sensei breathing down our necks to make sure we weren't gonna try anything."

"Right?" Jomei agreed with a grin, "I know he's all about avoiding a fight, but come on! What harm could me lighting up some argon for a light show do that'd be so bad?"

"I don't know… irradiate everyone near you?" Akiko joked.

If it wasn't for the fact U.A. had come back into view, she would've been entirely content to spend the rest of the day hanging out with her best friend. Jomei had always possessed that unique way of making her feel comfortable when he was around – though things certainly weren't always that way for her. Once upon a time, Akiko was so shy that she rarely even spoke, and although Jomei's friendly nature had drawn her out of that habit, there was still a long way to go before she could be considered anywhere close to an extrovert.

"Hey," Jomei teasingly warned, "That's only if I charge up those gases too much – usually they're only charged enough to have some good blunt force behind them. Only deadly if I go overboard."

"True," Akiko conceded. As the duo had made their way close enough to the main campus to split up and get changed, Akiko's eyes snapped wide open. "Wait! We never figured out which one of us won, did we?"

Jomei's mouth went agape in realization. "Oh yeah, we didn't, huh? Well, since we need to get changed for the written exam, how about we meet up right after by the front entrance?"

Akiko shook her head. "I can't – Mom and Dad want me home as soon as possible. Since finals are still coming up with Shimo-sensei, they want me studying instead of out and about."

"Then how about we meet up when our entrance exam results come in? We could figure out who won our competition around when we open our letters, it'll be two big reveals in one sitting!"

"Sounds good to me. I'll try to text when I'm not busy studying, but sorry in advance if I end up going radio silent again." Akiko said, extending a hand out towards her best friend before they were forced to go their separate ways.

"Seriously, it's not a problem Akiko. Good luck on the written exam." Jomei said, shaking her hand before pulling her in for a friendly hug.

"You too," she responded, pulling out of his embrace before giving him a final wave goodbye, "See you soon!"

* * *

One week later, Jomei found himself closing the final few blocks leading up to Akiko's home while he reveled in the spring breeze and the warm sun overhead. Not only was spring a time of renewal for plant life, but it marked the beginning of U.A.'s upcoming semester – meaning that if Jomei was accepted, he'd be merely a handful of weeks away from being a member of hero academia. Although he wasn't worried about getting into U.A. after gauging how well he performed during the practical exam, there was still the underlying 'what if' of doubt that sent chills running down his spine whenever he thought about it too hard; which, thankfully, wasn't that often, thanks to his mother's encouragement.

Turning a corner and turning off some of his father's music he'd been listening to, Jomei took in the familiar sight of his best friend's home. Despite her parents' wealth, they lived relatively modestly, with their home only moderately sized and the only indicator of their upper-class lifestyle laying in their interior decorations and carefully maintained garden. As he approached the gate nestled between brick walls and a few vibrant trees, Jomei was surprised to see that the gate was unlocked. _'Well, at least I don't have to ring the gate's buzzer _and _knock on the door.'_

Knocking on the front door, Jomei removed his headphones and took a respectable step back. If there was one thing Akiko's parents were good for, it was seeing value in almost stifling amounts of formality. Unless you were a close friend or business partner, any encounter with them proceeded as though it were a board room meeting, and the fact that Jomei was a boy requesting to visit the pair's only daughter certainly didn't help. It wasn't because they judged Jomei poorly, either; they were simply people who were notoriously slow to warm up to anyone in a non-business-related setting, and the fact Jomei was such an outgoing person compared to anyone in their family only compounded that fact. It could've been worse, though – they were at least trusting enough of their daughter to let her spend time with Jomei alone so long as he was on his 'best behavior,' as it were, and Jomei was _always _on his best behavior when it came to his best friend.

Mr. Takara opened the door, still clad in the formalwear he seemed to never be seen without. Despite his choice in clothing however, it was clear that he was a self-made man, with the scars and muscle definition of manual labor a stark contrast against his well-groomed goatee and short hairstyle.

Jomei bowed formally, his ringed necklace and the letter he received from U.A. both being pulled down by mother nature as he did so. "Hello, Mr. Takara. I'm here to see Akiko, as I'm sure you know."

The middle-aged man crossed his arms and made space for Jomei to pass through. "Of course. If you're hungry or thirsty, feel free to help yourself." He said, "I believe you already know the way to Akiko's room."

Without further ado, Jomei began making his way down the hall. While Akiko's parents had always been occasionally strict, but still loving parents, the fact that Mr. Takara went as far as to display _hospitality _to Jomei meant that he was in a good mood, and he wasn't about to waste that good fortune by prattling around. _'Don't question it Jomei, you'll live longer – maybe he just got a good business deal or something.'_

Thanks to the sound of his footfalls across the fine wood flooring of the Takara household, Jomei didn't even have to knock as he reached Akiko's room. Instead, the woman in question simply opened the door and, judging by how she held a textbook in the crook of her arm, ended her study session as soon as she heard Jomei nearby.

"Hey, Jomei! Come on in, and don't mind the study guides – I'll get those out of the way." She said, quickly cleaning up the assortment of papers meticulously laid across her desk. "Did you get your results letter in the mail? I just got mine this morning."

Jomei whipped out the letter he'd stashed in his jacket and held it up proudly between two fingers. A small disk contained within fell to the bottom. "Yep! Got mine yesterday, actually," he explained, pulling up a spare seat by the desk, "Looking forward to seeing who won?"

The blond's smile and positivity was infectious, and Akiko let a small smirk cross her lips. He didn't need to know how worried she was about the results of the practical exam which, by her own judgment, she did mediocre on even with her steady strategy thanks to her sacrificing her final two minutes for Shinso's sake. Not that she regretted it in the slightest.

"Something like that. I'm guessing you're convinced we already passed?" She said, sitting down and spinning in her chair to face her now-clear desk as she fetched a letter opener.

He nodded confidently. "Well, yeah! I think I did pretty good taking down those villains… even though I did go a bit overboard trying to show up one jerk at the start." After Akiko had slit open hers, Jomei was fumbling with his own envelope when he piped up again. "And since you're somehow worried you won't get in, how about you go first?"

Akiko hummed, pursing her lips until she sighed. "Well, I suppose one of us has to take the dive first. Let's hope you're right about us getting into U.A."

She flipped the envelope, a paper letter and a small metallic disk both falling out at the same time. "A holo-disk? So they're delivering the results by recording? Huh…" She trailed off, activating the device after Jomei shrugged. "I wonder who it could be… maybe the principal?"

The disk flared to life, the small holographic screen suddenly displaying a face-shot of a blue-eyed and blond-haired titan of a hero. "Aha! I am here in yet another recording!" His strong voice boomed.

"Wait, is that _All Might_?!" Akiko blurted out.

"The number one hero? Indeed!" The message continued, All Might pulling away from the camera as his triumphant theme began to play. "I come bearing news from U.A. High School concerning your practical exam performance. The letter accompanying me contains vital information concerning your written exam's results, and some other information that shall be made clear soon."

The blond hero gripped his dress shirt and stifled a cough. "As you may be aware, the practical exam plays a pivotal role in deciding who ascends into the ranks of this prestigious academy, and I am sorry to say… by sheer combat ability alone, though you came close, you did not pass."

Akiko's shoulders dropped, her gaze dropping in recognition of the fact this message might as well simply be a formality to inform her of her rejection. At least there was always Jomei to hopefully be-

"But wait! There's more!" All Might quickly added, and Jomei bit back the comforting words he was already preparing. Akiko's self-esteem was already on a precarious edge as it was. "Fortunately, there were other factors in play to boost your score! After all, what hero relies solely on their abilities in combat to protect the public?!" He explained with a boastful flex.

"In addition to combat points – or villain points, as they're called here – there are what are known as 'rescue points,' designed to applaud and award heroic souls with selfless regard for others! For how can U.A. proclaim itself an institution of heroes when we deny those with the most heroic of intent their chance to attend? Why do I mention this? Why, watch and find out!"

Behind him, another screen was given focus and displayed a recording of Akiko saving Shinso from the zero-point faux villain's point of view, as well as many other angles. Beside her, Jomei's mouth fell agape as Akiko's eyes lit up with hope and her heart raced in her chest at the sight of her idol granting her newfound hope. _'She really did mean it when she said she stopped that thing…'_

All Might turned to face the camera again once the video showed Akiko racing off with Shinso in tow. His theme was reaching a crescendo as he threw a thumbs up. "Takara Akiko," he began, a leaderboard of ten students appearing behind him, "Due to your valor and your selflessness in the face of adversity, U.A. welcomes you into our ranks. Welcome to your hero academia." He finished, holding out a hand as if Akiko could accept it.

All Might seemed as if he had more to say, but a hand poking into frame informed him he was running short on time. "Ah, yes. There's so much more to be said, and I'm sure you're bursting with excitement already, but let me reveal to you one last surprise! Yes, I – All Might – will be here as one of U.A.'s most prestigious educators, and of course, I look forward to seeing you soon! Until then, remember – go beyond! Plus ultra!" He cheered, pointing a triumphant fist to the sky as the message flickered off.

There was so much to process that for a solid few dozen seconds Akiko was frozen where she sat. Not only was she just sent on an emotional roller coaster so intense that she didn't even take note of who was on the top ten behind All Might, but she was told that she was accepted into _U.A. High School_, with none other than the number one hero as one of her educators on the path to becoming a Pro Hero. It would've been enough to move even her father's heart if he saw the look of utter disbelief on his daughter's face.

Jomei was about to speak up when Akiko moved again. First, she shook her head, but then, to both her own and his surprise, she began to _laugh_. What first started as subdued chuckles grew into full-blown giddy giggles of excitement, to the point where her whole body was shaking, and she ended up throwing herself into a hug with Jomei.

"What'd I tell you? Nothing to worry about!" Jomei encouraged, a toothy smile on his face at the rare sight of Akiko being so animated as he returned the embrace.

Akiko then reeled in her laughter, wiping away happy tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks as she pulled back into her seat. "I-I can't believe it! It was All Might, right there! And he's going to be teaching there, and I actually _made it!_" She exclaimed, running fingers through her hair as she continued convincing herself she wasn't in fact dreaming.

"Of course you did – you've worked harder than like, anyone I know to get into U.A. You deserve it." He gushed, his eyes widening as he remembered the leaderboard that'd displayed behind All Might. "Say, do you think either one of us made it onto the top ten?"

His friend shook her head again. "I have no clue. I'm just happy that I got accepted! What about your letter? Shouldn't we watch yours?" She asked, her eyes wide in excitement. If she could get into U.A., she saw no reason for Jomei to be left behind after what she knew for a fact would've been a great combat performance during the practical exam on his part, but she always figured it was better to make sure.

"Well, maybe we both got accepted and made it onto the leaderboard," Jomei proposed, gesturing towards the now-inactive holo-disk, "All Might did make it sound like the rescue points were a big deal."

"True." Akiko agreed, regaining her composure as she finally finished fumbling with the device's tiny controls to land on the point of the video that the leaderboard was on display. What the pair saw shocked them both for what felt like the umpteenth time in the past handful of minutes.

Comfortably resting in fourth place, with 28 villain points and 40 rescue points was Akiko, far ahead of Jomei on the leaderboards with his ninth-place ranking of 48 villain points and 10 rescue points.

Akiko had to do a double-take to believe the scores she was seeing. Though she wasn't surprised to see that Jomei was on the leaderboard, and therefore was likely accepted into U.A., she by no means anticipated ranking higher than Jomei when it came down to it – not with how mediocre she performed. Turning to face him, what with his acceptance being right in front of him, she was only partially surprised to see nothing but an utterly content smile on his face.

"I mean… I can't say I didn't expect to see my name up there, but… you placing higher than me? That's a surprise." He stated off-handedly, still staring at the leaderboard. "But, wait! Uh, you know what I mean," he hurriedly added, looking sheepish as he realized his poor choice of words.

His companion nodded. "Yeah, I didn't expect that either, but you made it too!" She congratulated, giving Jomei another hug. At least she wouldn't have to worry about not knowing anybody when she started her latest schooling venture.

Before Jomei could respond, Akiko's mismatched eyes went wide, and she began fumbling to open the slip of paper that came with the holo-disk of All Might. "Wait, what's up?" Jomei inquired, his head at an odd angle over her shoulder as he strained to see what his friend was looking at.

"I'm looking to see if we're in the same class – there should be a bunch of information here about… aha!" She exclaimed, skimming over her written exam results in favor of looking at who was in her class. There were twenty-three students besides her in one of the two hero classes there, and although she didn't recognize most of the names listed, there was one that stood out amidst the crowded section of the paper.

"We're in the same class! This just keeps getting better and better!" She cheered.

Jomei leaned back in his chair. "And here I thought I was the one that was going to be super excited," he joked.

Akiko tried to glare at him, but her smile made it impossible to even try to feign frustration. Not that she could ever hope to manage that, what with her utter inability to hide what she was feeling from Jomei.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Jomei. But anyway…" She trailed off, swiveling in her chair to face the projection again. With the way she pointed at the leaderboard, it was clear that she was about to declare herself the winner of their earlier competition.

Jomei lurched forward, grabbing ahold of Akiko's finger in a flash. "Not quite! We only agreed to keep track of who scored more points fighting, and then these rescue points came along to screw it up, so..." He trailed off, clearly grasping for straws so he didn't have to admit defeat.

"How about we call it a tie and just celebrate that we both made it into U.A.?" Akiko offered, swiveling once again to face away from her desk as she rose to her feet. If there was anything that she'd learned about people from Jomei, it was that the best path into a person's heart was through their stomach. Though she wasn't as obsessed with food as others, even she would admit that celebrating so many revelations in such a short amount of time with a good meal could only add yet another highlight to her day.

"Deal," he agreed, rising to his feet and stuffing his letter back into his jacket pocket as he triumphantly marched back in the direction of the house's well-stocked kitchen.

It may have only been the beginning of their journey on the way to becoming Pro Heroes, but with the sun shining outside as spring made itself known in the air, both Jomei and Akiko were convinced that this was a milestone more than worth celebrating. Even if Akiko fell back into her timid shell when classes started, and even if Jomei continued wishing to show up those who taunted him, they'd both just overcome the most significant hurdle they'd ever faced on the road achieving their dreams. And for now? That was enough.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So, um… yeah… longest ever chapter – no, single file for upload I've ever written right here. I'm… not sure what to say other than I hope you enjoyed! Parts of this were tough to write for me, given my newbie nature to writing and all, but just as much of it was an absolute **_**blast **_**to write. I hope you'll all stick around and wait to see what comes next! Oh, and is it just me or is All Might literally a better superman than Superman? Though I suppose that is the point of his character, so… hoorah for having a preexisting character in MHA that I could use for an awesome moment for Akiko!**

**And of course, some random notes I think would be fun; inspirations! Jomei's Quirk was inspired by Delsin Rowe from Infamous 2, as you might imagine, but Akiko's was a bit more involved. I wanted her to subvert expectations in that she **_**looks**_** extremely graceful and delicate but packs a heck of a punch, but limit her potential, so I looked to the Crystal Core as a weakness for her. Oh! And her powers are kinda inspired by ATLA. And Shimo-sensei? Literally means frost, and as a fan of DBS, I had to fit that in somewhere as an in-joke!**

**PS: So... for better or for worse, I'm entertaining the thought of making an independent world/work in the same third-person vein as WFAF (in terms of chapter length, anyhow), and so... I've elected to put WFAF on hiatus. While I by no means intend to wholesale abandon this project, do understand that, for the time being, it's... shall we say, 'sleeping.' That having been said, with my unreliable-at-best update schedule - I mean, it _did _take me 3 weeks just to make this, lol - it's not like this is some massive travesty, _especially _with the sheer number of talented writers on this site. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and may enjoy the ones to come whenever this sleeping dragon wakes up once again!**


	3. Class 1-A

The handful of weeks prior to the beginning of U.A.'s upcoming semester passed by in a blur of activity. Whereas the day of the entrance exams was filled with the hustle and bustle of all walks of life as society prepared itself for the renewal spring brought, the weeks that followed made the busy atmosphere then seem like a dress rehearsal. Support companies began mobilizing their resources to fulfill their contracts to their respective hero organizations, manual labor continued with more vigor than the bitter winter months allowed, and those businesses unrelated to the upkeep of society were readily preparing new ventures for the upcoming fiscal year. Akiko's parents were but only two of the thousands of businesspeople that fell into that final category.

Similarly, her older brother Takai would've likely fallen into that same group too if it wasn't for the fact he was still advised by his doctors and their parents alike to stay home and rest. Despite Akiko's most heartfelt arguments that their crystal cores' ability to turn into other gemstones wasn't something to be exploited, it'd become something of a cycle that he'd chip away at his core from time to time to help the family business – which by no means was struggling before he decided to do so. Thus, at the cost of his Quirk's offensive power due to its source's frequent harvest, Takai found himself alone with his little sister as she prepared herself for her first day at U.A.

Although Takai had made no attempts to intrude on Akiko's morning routine, the aspiring hero couldn't find it in herself to bother initiating a conversation with him. It wasn't that she held a grudge – it was almost unheard of for her to do so – but rather, she knew that he shared a similar viewpoint to their parents in regard to her chosen career. Thus, she assumed he was probably hovering nearby to give the same token gesture of wishing her luck their parents did before they headed off to a business meeting they found infinitely more interesting than their daughter's first day of high school.

Try as she might, however, when Akiko got around to cleaning up the quick breakfast she made before heading off to U.A., she could no longer avoid her brother's gaze. "What is it, Takai? You've been standing there all morning, and I know watching me get ready for school isn't the most entertaining thing you could be doing." She spoke calmly, not looking up from her dishes.

Takai raised a quizzical brow. "And who said I was looking for entertainment? You know, just because I don't really 'get' what has you so eager to literally _fight _for pay decided by the government for a living, doesn't mean I don't want to wish my little sister good luck. New schools are always weird." He explained, leaning on the breakfast bar of the kitchen.

"Yeah, but Mom and Dad already wished me luck too. Right before they went to a meeting, remember?" Akiko muttered.

"I do. But where they couldn't care less, at least I _try _to be invested in what you're doing. You may refuse to take part in something that makes sense for a living, like the family business, but…" He motioned towards Akiko, "That doesn't mean you don't deserve the support of your family beyond finances."

As Akiko was drying her hands, her Quirk's occasional expression of her emotions outside of combat made itself known, and her crystal core pulsed a surprised blue for a moment at her older brother's words. Over the years, Akiko's commitment to becoming a Pro Hero and Takai's focus on inheriting the family business had created something of a wedge between the two siblings, and so, the last thing she expected to hear was that Takai still supported her – even in such an off-hand manner.

"That's… rather kind of you, Takai. Thank you." She managed, swallowing her emotions as best she could. It didn't do her much good, since the soft luminescent glow from her core gave away any attempts to hide her feelings.

Her older brother was inspecting his nails as if he was unbothered by her; however, his small smile seemed to convey a similar synergy of emotion. "No problem. Now, you ready to go? I've got nothing going on, so if you need an escort…"

"No no! Don't you worry, I know where to go. You just stay home and rest, okay?" Akiko insisted, brushing some dust off the edge of her uniform's skirt as she headed for the door, bag in tow.

Takai shrugged, walking alongside his little sister until they reached the gate and he pressed a button to open it. "Well, stay safe out there anyway, hero." He half-teased, giving Akiko a pat on the shoulder before sauntering back inside with a wave.

Alone with nothing but her thoughts, the wind, and the chirping of birds overhead, she began the trip to U.A. Akiko felt a feeling of peace wash over her that she hadn't felt in regard to her family in what felt like years. Even if Takai was only slightly more invested than their parents in what Akiko wanted to do with her life, he was at least _trying_, and to her, that was more than enough to put a spring in her step.

Within the hour, she'd have begun her first day at U.A. High School and on the road to becoming a Pro Hero. Despite the trepidation she felt at how she was going to be surrounded by new and unfamiliar faces, she took comfort in the fact she'd at least have Jomei by her side. _'Now to see if today goes as good as I hope it will – hero academia, here I come!'_

* * *

After completing her commute to U.A., Akiko found herself on the path leading up to the front entrance. The excited feeling in her chest was still very much there, but nonetheless somewhat less prominent as the magnitude and diversity of the student body filtering in around her sank in. Despite the unfamiliar atmosphere and the energy that seemed to encompass the campus, she wasn't as nervous as she imagined she would've been if Jomei didn't get accepted with her. Her pace slowed, and with that thought, she began scanning the crowd in search of a familiar face. She even considered looking around to see if Shinso got accepted, but stomped out that idea upon recalling how icy things were between them. Momentary peace treaty or not, Shinso didn't strike Akiko as the kind of person that was eager to make friends.

As if on cue, Akiko heard hurried footsteps behind her, and almost chuckled as she recognized her best friend sprinting to catch up with her. Jomei was in the standard male uniform, wearing his blazer just as well as his ringed necklace, but judging by the somewhat disheveled look of his hair and the fact he was running up to meet Akiko with a piece of toast in his mouth, it seemed as though he might've only barely woken up in time to make it to class.

Akiko let her friend pause to catch his breath before they began a leisurely pace into U.A.'s towering buildings, and readjusted her backpack. "So, I'm guessing you overslept?" She asked with a giggle.

Jomei ignored the looks he was getting from their peers as he quickly finished his toast and whipped out a comb to tame his hair. "Who, me? No, never!" He said incredulously, brushing crumbs off his jacket. "But seriously, it was bad enough waking up ten minutes after my alarm was supposed to sound, but then Mom _had _to start ragging on about how she proud she was of me, how grown up I look now… all that jazz." Despite his exasperated tone, no small amount of appreciation laced his words as he spoke, and Akiko noticed a smile tugging at his lips as he turned to stuff his comb back into his bag.

"I mean we _have _just taken our first big step into the real world. Of course your mom would be proud of you!" She pointed out, ignoring the longing feeling that followed as she remembered her own parents. "But what about your dad? You guys have told him the good news, right?"

Jomei scratched the back of his neck as they continued their ascent up the stairwell of the tower leading to Class 1-A. "Well… yes and no. We told him that you and I got into U.A. – and he was stoked about that – but we did omit any mention of Present Mic having anything to do with this place."

Akiko snickered. "Good luck keeping it a secret though, Jomei. Even if you do keep it under wraps from your dad though, we do have Present Mic for English class – it'll be a nightmare keeping everything hidden then."

The blond arched his back and let out a groan. "Ugh, don't remind me. I plan on keeping my head down but all I can really do is hope he doesn't recognize me. Speaking of recognizing people…" He perked up, swinging his backpack onto one arm as he fished out a folded sheet of paper. "I think I'll already know a few people in class from orientation and the practical exam. At least a little bit, anyway." He explained, handing Akiko his class list.

Unfolding the print-out, she looked over the pictures of her peers. Akiko recognized the same tape-wielding boy Recovery Girl walked off to help after their brief talk but found no sign of the only other person associated with U.A. she knew by name. _'No Shinso. Maybe he still got in though? There's always the other departments, after all...'_

"Recognize anyone?" Jomei inquired, noticing that she seemed to be staring rather intently at the list.

"Besides the tape guy? Sero?" Akiko gestured to their peer's picture before she handed the paper back, "Not a one. What about you?"

"I've met a few of these guys, actually – or at least, seen them." Jomei gave a noncommittal shrug, "The guy with the bird-looking head and the guy with six arms, Tokoyami and Shoji. I only barely interacted with, but I still count that as meeting them. This Bakugo guy on the other hand…" He began, rolling his eyes as he gestured to a red-eyed blond, "He's a real piece of work."

As Akiko glanced over their aforementioned peers' pictures, she began to dread what exactly this new face could've done that would've gotten under her friend's skin. Jomei was the kind of person who could let bygones be bygones, sure, but that didn't mean that he wasn't capable of holding a grudge. He always had been a stickler for the golden rule over the years, in some form or another.

"What'd he do?" She inquired, frowning at Jomei's account of her newfound sandy-haired peer. Her crystal core shifted between colors as she brooded on the matter. Whatever this 'Bakugo' had done to make an enemy out of her friend so quickly she didn't know, but she wasn't about to doubt his judgment yet. She quickly made a mental note to avoid the unfamiliar boy wherever possible.

"Besides yelling 'die' a bunch of times as he made explosions come out of his hands? He stole a few points from me and called me an 'extra,' since it seems everyone besides him isn't worth anything to him. Though I will admit, I didn't make the situation any better when I stole 12 points from him in return..." Jomei confessed, thinking on the matter.

Akiko pursed her lip to one side. While she knew there were people out there who would genuinely go out of their way to think themselves above others, she wanted to give Bakugo the benefit of the doubt. Her first interaction with Shinso wasn't exactly on friendly terms, but she'd turned that blunder around somewhat, so she'd at least try to hold off judgment until she saw Bakugo herself.

"Well, maybe it was just him getting caught up in the thrill of the fight? It _was _pretty chaotic during the practical exam, after all."

Jomei shrugged. "I hope you're right, but somehow I doubt it. That guy had a grin that would make a shark seem friendly by comparison back there."

Akiko lightly bumped into Jomei's shoulder. "Come on! No one can be _that _bad if they've made into U.A., right?"

* * *

Upon arriving in Class 1-A, Akiko found out that she was wrong. She was very, very wrong.

At first, when Jomei and she had made their way into the classroom, Bakugo seemed benign enough. Despite throwing a dirty look Jomei's way and muttering something unintelligible under his breath, which he seemed to do with everyone who was filtering in, it wasn't like he went out of his way to make enemies; though, that wasn't to say he wasn't making them anyway.

After settling into their respective seats at the back of the classroom, one of the first things the pair noticed – aside from the students Jomei had identified earlier – was the fact a blue-haired peer of theirs seemed to be trembling at his desk once he noticed Bakugo had thrown his feet up on his desk.

Jomei leaned in close to Akiko and whispered. "I think that's the same guy who got the spotlight during my hall's orientation. Really intense personality, from what I saw. I wonder why that is?"

Akiko shrugged. "Maybe he's just a stickler for rules?" It wouldn't be the first time she'd met someone like that in her life, after all.

"That would explain why he called out that one guy on muttering…" Jomei murmured to himself.

Before the amber-eyed student could entertain his thoughts further, however, the same student in question had already appeared in front of Bakugo. "Get your feet off that desk this instant!" He demanded, chopping his hand through the air for emphasis.

Bakugo sneered. "Huh? Sorry, but I can't hear you over all that hot air."

The glasses-wearing student adjusted his spectacles, refusing to back down. "It's the first day of class, and you're already desecrating school property with your irreverent behaviors. It'd be in your best interest if you-"

"You're kidding me right?" Bakugo laughed, cutting him off, "Your old school shove a stick up your ass? Or were you just born with it?"

The blue-haired student paused, trembling slightly before seamlessly collecting himself. If his peer was going to be as ill-tempered as this, then perhaps a different angle was warranted. "Look, let's start over. My name is Iida Tenya from the Somei Private Academy, and-"

Once again, Iida didn't have a chance to finish his sentence, and Bakugo glared up at him. "Somei huh? So you're just some rich brat who thinks he's better than me? Ha! Get lost before I make you."

Iida reeled back as if struck, utterly aghast. "You would threaten your own peer!? Are you sure you're in the right place?"

As the confrontation continued, Jomei and Akiko observed in silent annoyance and shock, respectively, both still unsure of how the conflict of wills would conclude. Akiko was particularly taken aback – there was a fine difference between hearing about someone being so standoffish and witnessing it yourself, after all. _'Ok, so… Jomei wasn't kidding, this guy's a handful. Good to know, but…'_

"Should we… do something?" Akiko asked, a bit hesitant as she watched the situation unfold. On one hand, they were her classmates. If she was going to be spending the next four years with them then it might be prudent to resolve these kinds of confrontations. They _were _in the hero course after all. On the other hand… Akiko cringed slightly at the domineering sneer in her classmate's face that was matching perfectly against the other's no-nonsense scolding. Despite her good nature, she didn't exactly have any desire to get in the middle of that.

Massaging his temples, her friend sighed wearily, as if merely being in the same room with the brazen blond was a chore. "Oh, I'd do something alright, but I know this isn't a battle that's worth picking."

Now that was something that brought a small smile to Akiko's face. Really, it was just like him. Although Jomei had always been a friendly person by nature, just as she was once extraordinarily shy, so too was he somewhat confrontational by nature. He'd always been like that, ever since they first had met. Over the years, while he helped her develop the social skills to come out of her shell somewhat, Akiko had spent that same time gently advising Jomei to avoid conflict if he could help it. Granted, with him just about idolizing his mother in the police force, having a strong moral compass was a given, but that didn't mean he always knew when _acting _upon that sense of morality was a good choice.

Moments of clarity and self-awareness such as right now reminded Akiko just how much he'd changed for the sake of their friendship, and it was another reason she treasured every moment they got to spend together. They cared about and respected each other equally, and though their friendship was formed by sheer chance, Akiko always thought their lives were better for it.

"Besides," Jomei said, interrupting her inner musings. He pulled out his print-out again and smoothed out the crinkled paper. Jomei studied it for a moment before nodding to himself. "There are only 22 people on the class list, and there's 24 seats here. That's gotta mean something about how strict U.A. is, and I'd like to last long enough here to get my hero license, thank you very much." He finished, giving Akiko the paper so she could see for herself.

Jomei was right, too. While there were 24 students named on the class list that came with their original, picture-less list of peers, Jomei's updated version from merely a few days ago suspiciously lacked names to account for the empty seats on either side of them. _'But what could these two people have done to get kicked out of U.A. before classes even started?'_

As Akiko was just beginning to run through the myriad of scenarios that could've led to students being removed from the list, she found her attention ripped right back to Bakugo and Iida as another short laugh cut right through her thoughts.

"Ha! And you think I care about whatever clown they have coming? Teachers are all the same **– **this one's gonna be a pushover just like all the rest." Bakugo sneered confidently.

"You think so?" Jomei cut in, drawing attention to the back of the room, "There are already two people missing that should've been here, so if you think U.A.'s gonna send us some spineless Pro Hero to teach us… you may want a reality check."

"That would verify the rumor that two students were expelled before the semester started for getting into a fight…" Iida quietly pondered, before he glanced in Bakugo's direction.

Bakugo glared at both Iida and Jomei, letting out a huff as he crossed his arms, clearly done with the conversation. He may have had a temper that'd make some villains seem like Pro Heroes by comparison, but that didn't mean the implication of him possibly meeting the same fate as his missing two classmates was lost on him, it seemed.

Iida sighed, and as the majority of the class returned to their own conversations, he made his way over to Jomei. "My apologies, it wasn't my intent for you to be forced to come to my aid when dealing with that hot-headed peer of ours."

"It's no problem Iida, that Bakugo guy's a jerk – don't worry about it, really." Jomei asserted with a wave of his hand.

"That may be so, but it's appreciated nonetheless. As you may have overheard, I am Iida Tenya, from Somei Private Academy, who might you be?"

"I'm Nishimura Jomei, from Korusa Junior High. And this-" Jomei said, gesturing to Akiko, who gave a shy, half-hearted wave, "-is Takara Akiko, a close friend of mine."

"Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you both. I can only hope our endeavors dealing with Bakugo's flagrant disregard for human decency will be met with better success than today." Iida stated. As he turned away, something caught his eye. "It's him."

All eyes in Class 1-A shifted to follow Iida's line of sight, and all landing on the most recent arrival to the room. A short, messily green-haired boy with youthful freckles on his cheeks stood in the doorway, and within moments, grew immensely flustered.

"Uhh, hi!" He greeted hastily.

As Iida marched forth towards the newcomer, Akiko turned towards Jomei. "What does he mean by that?" She inquired.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, you've been on social lockdown. There's a rumor going around that this guy, the same one I saw nearly eat pavement on the way to orientation, outright _took down _the zero-point faux villain in Battle Center B. I think you might have some competition, now," Jomei joked, jabbing a finger in the increasingly nervous-looking boy's direction.

Akiko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. My crystal core got fractured holding it off for ten seconds – whatever he did to take it down must've been insane, and- wait, I wasn't ever that nervous around people, right?" She spoke, putting her attention back to the front of the room.

In the short amount of time Akiko had given Jomei her attention, the newcomer – Midoriya Izuku – was not only reeling from Iida's proclamation of being the inferior student, but he was blushing beet red the moment a kindly girl showed up behind him to say hello. Akiko knew that she was shy, sure, but she couldn't have been _that _bad back in the day… right?

"Nope. You were worse. Remember how it took me like, a month to get you to even introduce yourself? This guy might be a mess but at least he managed to say his name before shutting down." Jomei offered, grinning slightly at the look on her face.

"Huh… I guess you're right. At least I'm not that bad anymore… I hope." Akiko sighed, idly watching Midoriya and Iida, her palms supporting her head by the jaw.

Jomei gave her a supportive pat on the back. "I mean, you didn't really say hi to Iida back there, but you're getting better, for sure. Or else you wouldn't have gone after Shinso, you know?"

"True," Akiko mused.

In the handful of minutes that followed, the trio at the classroom door finally took their seats as their conversation wound down to a close. With the two missing students' fates all but confirmed by their absence when the time for class to start neared, every student in the room that _didn't _presumably get expelled was more than ready to begin the journey to become a Pro Hero that their colleagues never got.

The only problem was that… after a solid ten minutes of waiting, the late bell's warning chime began to sound, and Class 1-A was still missing its most vital member – its homeroom teacher. Soon, quiet conversation and introductions took the place of the dutiful anticipation everyone felt for their first day at U.A., and Akiko found herself glancing at the clock just as often as Iida, being one of the handful of students that were truly taken aback by their teacher's absence.

Akiko was about to ask Jomei what he thought was going on when Shoji, the same six-armed student Jomei had spoken to prior to the practical exam, morphed three of his appendages' tips into additional ears, and quickly detected the sounds of tired footfalls outside the classroom.

"Someone's coming." He said, and no one in the room had a chance to respond before the distant sound became audible to everyone, and its source revealed itself.

Mere moments before the late bell sounded, the door to Class 1-A opened to reveal the exact _opposite _of what every aspiring hero present expected to see. The man in the doorframe was slender, with messy shoulder-length black hair and a disheveled look about his tired eyes and scraggly facial hair that made it seem he'd just rolled out of bed. What's more, his baggy black clothes were only given a reprieve of color in the almost absurdly long grey scarf he wore around his neck, and he dragged a bright yellow sleeping bag behind him – only adding credibility to the class' theory that he had, in fact, only just woken up.

The drained-looking man rubbed at his eyes as he made his way to the podium in front of the students, letting his sleeping bag fall onto the floor beside him as he turned to regard the group. His gaze made its way over to Midoriya and his kind new girl friend, Uraraka Ochaco, who were both visibly and audibly bewildered by the man's outward appearance.

"Well, that's only two of you that're wasting your breath staring – that's good," he said passively, and the clock behind him ticked onto _exactly _the time class was scheduled to start. "Okay then, I suppose you're expecting an introduction. My name is Aizawa Shota, and I'll be your homeroom teacher."

As his almost robotic introduction came to an end, Class 1-A was left at a loss of what to make of their teacher, and Akiko and Jomei shared a look. On one hand, Aizawa looked like he didn't even want to _be _here, but on the other, it's not like they had a choice in the matter. In the interest of simply seeing where their odd teacher's introduction was leading, the pair shared a shrug and turned their attention back to their teacher.

Aizawa was scanning everyone in his class like a hawk, though he did make an almost imperceptible nod of approval once he found the two chairs in the back corners of the classroom empty. He knelt down and picked up his sleeping bag and began rummaging through it, casting aside an empty juice container before he finally fished out what he was looking for.

Holding up a blue sports outfit with the large white letters of U.A. stamped into the design, Aizawa finally broke the confused silence that punctuated his introduction. "No questions, then? Good, then we can get to work. Put these on and meet me in the field."

* * *

Jomei expected many things out of his first day at U.A. High School. Japan's finest bastion of educating each generation of Pro Hero didn't grow in prestige by following the same rules and procedures the layman's educational establishment did, after all, but that didn't mean he was expecting one of the first things he'd be doing to be a Quirk assessment test, of all things. Jomei was under the impression the practical exam served that exact same purpose, so that last thing he'd anticipated would be on day one's agenda would be an exercise in what could, in his eyes, be boiled down to showing off against one's peers.

Not that he was complaining. Every opportunity he had to use his Quirk was another chance for him to grow more well-versed in its uses than his training thus far had allowed him to be, and he relished in it. The same could not be said about everyone else in Class 1-A, however.

"But, orientation, we're going to miss it!" Uraraka fretted.

"Isn't this a bit too soon, Aizawa-sensei? Uraraka's right, and if we miss orientation-" Akiko added, only for Aizawa to cut her off with a raised hand thrown up over his back and tired annoyance in his voice.

"If we miss orientation, then what? Orientation is simply a waste of time – pointless ceremony and niceties that only provide false impressions of what your time here at U.A. is going to be like." He countered, turning to face the sports uniform-clad group, "If any of you want to make it as a Pro Hero then you're going to need to get used to the unexpected happening. What's more, crime doesn't wait, and neither should training to become a hero."

"Oh! O-of course, Aizawa-sensei, my apologies," Akiko managed, shrinking back into the small crowd of her peers with a short bow the moment she realized all eyes were on _her _and not just Uraraka or their teacher.

Aizawa only sighed in response, lending no attention to Akiko's self-perceived slight and subsequent apology. It seemed Class 1-A was in need of a reality check if they were questioning his methods.

"You've spent all your lives so far being administered standardized physical fitness exams, all the while being explicitly told not to use your Quirks. It's irrational. The archaic belief that we're all born equal will die off once the ministry of education catches on to the truth – that there are those of us in society with Quirks that allow us to excel more than others. U.A. is unique in that we aren't bound by those old rules that hold back the majority of educational institutions. We're here to make sure you can excel, that you can grow, and as such I get to run my class how _I see fit_." Aizawa said, his firm tone informing just how deep his beliefs ran.

Aizawa turned to regard the most hot-tempered of the crowd. It was time to _show _the class how true his beliefs were instead of just monologuing at them. "Bakugo. You scored the highest out of every applicant on the practical exams. How far can you throw a softball without using your Quirk?" He asked.

Bakugo shrugged. "67 meters, I think."

Aizawa pulled a softball out of a nearby bin, activating an app to measure the throw on his phone before tossing it to the red-eyed student. "Alright. Now try using your Quirk."

'_And feed into his ego by having him blast it off campus? Great idea.' _Jomei thought bitterly as Bakugo casually walked over to the designated pitching zone of the field. Letting out an exhale, Jomei turned his attention to Akiko, who'd appeared next to him. "If you're worried about what everyone thought of you back there, don't be. I'm pretty sure everyone's still reeling from this 'custom curriculum' Aizawa-sensei has going, too." He comforted.

"You think so?" Akiko asked, holding herself as her shoulders sagged. The last thing she wanted was to get on her anyone's bad side on the first day of class, after all.

"I know so. It's not every day you get your idea of what school is flipped on its head, after all."

Before Akiko could do anything more than give Jomei a small smile in thanks for his reassurance, Aizawa spoke again – Bakugo was taking his time winding up for his pitch. Too long for their teacher's liking, it seemed.

"Come on, then. You're wasting everyone's time." He said.

Bakugo growled, his grip on the softball tightening like a vice as he prepared his throw. As the ball was just leaving his palm, the red-eyed blond let out a vicious roar and his familiar battle cry of 'die' was drowned out by the shockwave the explosion that erupted from his palm produced.

The now-flaming ball sailed through the air for what felt like an eternity, and even Jomei was taken aback by just how far the softball went. As Class 1-A was left stunned at Bakugo's pitch, and the ball continued falling in the distance, Aizawa turned to face his class.

"It's important to know your limits," he began, "It's the most rational way of determining your potential as a Pro Hero, and the only reasonable way to acquire a reference point for your future growth." He finished, turning his phone to face the class and display the result of Bakugo's throw – 705.2 meters.

As the entirety of the group gasped, a blond with a black lightning-shaped streak in his hair was the first to snap out of the collective daze. "705 meters, are you kidding me? That's nuts!" He mentioned nervously.

Meanwhile, the pink-skinned and yellow-horned Ashido Mina clapped her hands together and hopped in glee. "I wanna go, that looks like fun!"

Sero Hanta immediately agreed, pumping his lean arms into the air. "Yeah, this is what I'm talking about, using our Quirks as much as we want!"

As his pupils finished exclaiming their excitement, Aizawa bowed his head and glared at the group. "So… this looks fun, huh…?" He began, a sinister grin creeping onto his lips, "Idiots. This isn't some game for points and bragging rights; no, today you're going to be taking eight physical tests to determine your potential – whoever comes in last will have proven they have none, and will be expelled immediately."

Before anyone in Class 1-A could react, Aizawa ran a hand through his long bangs to unveil his face. "It's like I told you, I get to run my class how I see fit, and if any of you have any problems with what I just said, you can go running home now."

As their educator's warning sank in, everyone in the class of would-be heroes reacted in a myriad of ways. Some were excited and even looking forward to the test, enlivened by the spirit of competition being renewed so soon into the school year, where others could be seen clearly rattled by the danger their prospective careers already faced. Jomei was one of the members of the class that wore a mask of sheer determination – risk of expulsion or no, he wasn't about to be kicked out U.A. on the first day.

Though Jomei was steadfast in his will, the same could not be said about Akiko. Though she wasn't quite quaking in her shoes, it was clear by how she returned to her habit of rhythmically massaging her hands that she was nervous. It was a subtle habit of hers, but one Jomei knew well. Before he could approach her about it, however, a voice intruded on his thoughts.

"Wait, you can't do this! All of us just got here, and even if it wasn't our first day, this just isn't fair!" Uraraka protested, "All of us worked hard to get here and-"

"And you think natural disasters are?" Aizawa cut in, "Hm? Or terrorist attacks that leave city blocks decimated? The world we live in is full of unfairness and unpredictability, and it's _your _job to combat that as a hero – so when U.A. throws everything it has at you, I'm expecting you to go beyond. Plus ultra-style. Now get ready, and show me it's no mistake that you're here. The first test is the 50-meter dash, and I expect you all to be there."

As the Pro Hero began walking towards the track portion of the field in the distance, he paused, throwing a warning grin over his shoulder. "That is, unless you want to end up like the other two brats that I expelled."

Class 1-A's hive mind responded in less than a heartbeat, surprise rippling through the crowd like a wave as the confirmation of their peers' absence hit them. Everyone already suspected that the pair of missing classmates were expelled, sure, but that didn't mean they expected their homeroom teacher to be the very same person responsible for their disappearance. It added that much more pressure and grim truth to Aizawa's threat, and the atmosphere around the students became all the more ionized as a result.

Every student began preparing for the tests in their own way, then, though Jomei passed up on the opportunity to stretch in favor of turning to face Akiko. Her hair covered her face and her crystal core shifted from color to color in uncertainty, to the point that she didn't even register Jomei standing next to her. _'Yeah, maybe the threat of expulsion on day one wasn't the best way to encourage us, Aizawa-sensei…'_

"Hey," Jomei said. Laying a hand gently on Akiko's shoulder, she came back to reality with a start. When she looked nervously at her best friend before her gaze fell back down to her hands, Jomei continued. "Nervous?"

Akiko nodded silently. "Yeah. Like, _really _nervous," she started, clasping one hand over her white-knuckled fist, "I mean, we've spent _years _trying to get here and now it's all so close to being taken away and-" Before she could continue, Jomei's hands firmly squeezing her shoulders cut her off.

"Breathe," Jomei instructed, and Akiko reeled in her uneven breaths for a few moments before he continued. "You aren't thinking straight. Forget Aizawa-sensei, forget everyone looking at you. No one was judging you, and remember how well you did on the practical exam? You're gonna be fine." He soothed before taking a step back.

Akiko deflated somewhat for a moment, realizing her nerves had gotten the better of her once again as she reflected on Jomei's words. Quickly, her palms met her eyes as she rubbed them, a frustrated groan emanating from her throat before she let her arms fall loosely by her sides once again.

"Better?" Jomei asked.

The purple-haired girl nodded. "Yeah. Sorry again. First you need to bring me out of a funk before the practical exam and now this?" She apologized, falling into a slow step beside Jomei as they caught up with the class, which had begun to move towards the track Aizawa was waiting at.

"And I'll say it again – don't worry about it. You've got what it takes, Akiko, don't ever forget that and you'll never get lost in your own head again," Jomei encouraged, "Besides, it could be worse. It's not like you can't shake it off a little when you're in the thick of things, yeah?"

"You're right. I've just got to remember to keep using my Quirk in bursts – just like I've practiced." She said, turning her hands into fists as her determination grew.

Jomei smiled to himself as they caught up to their peers. If Akiko could keep reassuring herself as she was now throughout the school year, it wouldn't be impossible for her to become the paragon of heroism she always wanted to be. Of course, that still meant she had to overcome her fear of being judged by her peers, but it wasn't like Jomei had made it his mission to turn his friend into a social butterfly; rather, he simply wanted Akiko's self-confidence to grow at her own pace, and moments such as these told him his efforts were slowly bearing fruit. Even if it did still take him reminding her of how far she'd come for her confidence to return, sometimes.

Before the pair knew it, it was their turn to participate in the 50-meter dash. Although the engines in Iida's calves rendered the possibility of beating his time of 3.04 seconds moot, Jomei was still determined to display what mastery he'd attained of his Quirk thus far. He hadn't fought so hard to get into U.A. just to settle for mediocrity, after all.

Akiko and he both took their runner's positions on the track, and as Jomei's pores covered him in glowing gases, so too did Akiko's tap into the third of her four unlocked modes, her features shifting into her peridot mode's signature yellow. The pair traded a friendly nod towards one another, and the signal to start rang in their ears.

Jomei carried himself forward in a blur, his Light Speed sending him flying forward at speeds even Iida was mildly impressed at, and he passed by the finish line in a respectable 4.20 seconds. At the same time, using her peridot mode only enough to force the air beneath her feet to speed up her strides – keeping the strain on her crystal core to a minimum – Akiko passed that same mark in 5.41 seconds.

As Jomei gave Akiko a thumbs up and the nearby camera-bot cheered out Akiko's time, the pair made their way over to where an increasing number of Class 1-A's students were waiting. The navel laser-user Aoyama Yuga waved them towards him, striking a pose that Jomei couldn't decide was meant to be attractive or just attention-grabbing.

"Magnifique!" He animatedly cheered, blowing a kiss towards them both, "Utterly astonishing! I must say, mon ami, your Quirk was nearly as fabulous-looking as mine! So flashy, so vibrant, so sparkly!" He exclaimed, brushing his hair back over his shoulder with the breeze as they arrived.

'_I know my Quirk looks cool, but this guy's obsessed with it to a whole new level…' _Jomei thought.

Before Aoyama could continue, a bubbly pink-skinned peer nearly bowled him to the side to talk to the pair. "That was so cool! You guys have to tell me about your Quirks!" Ashido begged, and when her gaze landed on Akiko's chest, the purple-haired girl's crystal core pulsed an embarrassed pink.

"Uhh… thanks?" Akiko managed with a nervous chuckle.

Ashido didn't seem to notice her faux pax, and instead bounced girlishly up into the air as she noticed Akiko's features momentarily change colors. "You're like a mood stone!" She observed.

Akiko looked to Jomei for help, and he merely shrugged. Ashido didn't seem malicious, and it couldn't hurt for Akiko be forced to interact with people other than him from time to time – otherwise, she'd never come out of her shell. "I mean… she isn't wrong," was all he offered.

Despite some embarrassing first impressions, Ashido's overwhelming kind and sociable personality, at least somewhat, broke through Akiko's nerves. Though Ashido _did _end up doing most of the work in forming some form of a 'friendship' between them, as it seemed she was doing with everyone in Class 1-A, it was still an improvement on Akiko's part.

Before long, the rest of Class 1-A had completed the first of their many trials of the day, and the group hastened to complete the next. The next few tests passed in a blur as Jomei and the other members of his class were subjected to the multitude of tests Aizawa had in store. Every single one had a different purpose to it in how it tested its participants, and despite the wide range of applications Jomei's and Akiko's Quirks had, even they couldn't excel in all of them.

For Jomei, the cases where he was thoroughly outshined stung far more for him than it did Akiko. Whereas he wanted to excel at every test, and possibly place higher in the end than Bakugo if he could, Akiko's strategy was the same as in the practical exam. Even in the most open tests, such as the standing long jump, where her emerald mode could've made her outshine most of her peers, she stayed reserved enough to prevent strain, but still used her Quirk enough to succeed where she could. Though this holding back did earn her a few glares from Aizawa that no one saw, once he began to realize she was refraining from using her full potential out of _necessity_, and not apprehension, Aizawa's disappointment in at least one of his peers faded.

Nowhere was the dichotomy between the duo more evident than when one of their final tests arrived – the pitch test. Bakugo had already blown away the competition with his earlier performance, and Uraraka had assured no one could topple her score of _infinity _with how she nullified her ball's gravitational pull, but Jomei was still determined to shine. Even if he couldn't match Bakugo's explosive performance, he could still use the opportunity to see how his Quirk could be used in ways he'd never had the chance to test before. Ignoring Bakugo's glare as he passed the hothead by, Jomei stepped into the circle designated for the test and began winding up for his own throw.

'_Ok, so Bakugo sent his ball into the sky by giving it one big boost. I can't hope to match his power, but maybe a little technique will go a long way – even if I can't beat his throw, I'm gonna show everyone here that he isn't the only one here with some skill.'_

Noble gases slowly came out of his pores, the glowing coat that usually surrounded him when he used his Quirk instead being channeled into a gaseous shell surrounding his ball. Jomei had to admit that Bakugo had more power behind his Quirk between the two of them, but where Bakugo merely released sheer force and let it go, Jomei could _control _what his Quirk generated, and _that's _how he'd excel.

After dropping into the pitcher's stance his father had taught him long ago, Jomei condensed as much noble gases as he could around his ball without damaging the transmitter wrapped around it, and prepared to let it fly. A Phosphor Beam snapped through the air, drowning out the surprised gasps of Jomei's classmates that hadn't seen the attack before, and the ball was carried forward at speeds even his Light Speed couldn't propel him at. Unlike Bakugo, whose ball had gained most of its distance from its rapid vertical ascent, Jomei's ball was given enough horizontal force between the Phosphor Beam and its gaseous shell to sail hundreds of meters before its speed began to peter out.

"576.3 meters, Nishimura. That places you third so far in the pitch test." Aizawa said, dispassionate as ever as he held his device up in front of him.

Jomei acknowledged his teacher with a casual two-fingered salute before walking back towards the rest of Class 1-A. Bakugo didn't bother giving Jomei a second glance, standing as far away from the rest of his peers as he could. _'3rd place, huh? Bronze may not be anything amazing, but at least it shows I'm in the same general league as everyone else here.'_

Ignoring Aoyama, who was going on about how Jomei could 'add some more flair to his technique,' the blond sent Akiko an encouraging thumbs up as she stepped up to the pitcher's circle. She stayed in her peridot mode as she prepared her own throw, and Ashido's cheers from the sidelines seemed to provide her with at least enough confidence to shoot for more than merely a 'safe' use of her Quirk. Boosting her ball with a gust of air that sent her and Aizawa's hair into a frenzy, hers flew 384.2 meters before stopping – though given how rarely she truly let loose with her Quirk, it was far beyond what even _she _was expecting out of her performance. After Ashido got done congratulating Akiko on her performance with a high five and praise that left the girl's crystal core blushing, the pink-skinned peer was off to participate in her own pitch as Akiko's features returned to her default amethyst purple.

"Look at you, making friends!" Jomei half-teased, gesturing towards Akiko as she made her way toward him.

"Yeah, more like being _made _a friend," Akiko responded, watching intently as Ashido spun herself around with acid she ejected from her shoes to amp up her throw, "It's just hard to _not _feel relaxed around her. She's so friendly that she reminds me of you – give or take a bit of…"

Jomei chuckled as Ashido nearly slipped after she released her ball. "Ditziness?"

Akiko shrugged, waving in a friendly manner towards Ashido as she leaped into the air, clearly pleased with her pitch distance. "Something like that. Still, if everyone else in Class 1-A is as nice as her, maybe I'll have an easier time adjusting to U.A. than I thought I would."

"That's the spirit!" Jomei said.

Before long, the majority of Class 1-A was wrapping up with their pitches, and it was Midoriya's time to shine. Up until this point, despite the rumor of what he did in the practical exam, he'd been doing the worst out of anyone in their class – even Akiko, who had to be more careful when letting loose with her Quirk than most, was outshining the green-haired boy. Every test he did sub-par on at best, worry plastered on his face throughout each endeavor, and thus, it was a surprise to everyone when they saw steadfast determination etch his features as he prepared his throw…

Only for it to barely pass 45 meters when he let it fly.

"What, my Quirk...? I was trying to use it just now…" Midoriya mumbled to himself, staring down at his hands, thoroughly nonplussed.

He and the rest of Class 1-A snapped out of their confused daze when they heard Aizawa speak. "I erased your Quirk, Midoriya." He said, his hair and his scarf both hovering in the air in tandem with the breeze, his black eyes suddenly an ominous red, "It'd appear that the rest of the judges during the practical exam weren't rational _enough _when it came to their decision-making. Someone like you should've never been admitted to U.A. High School."

"Wait, you did what to my-" Midoriya managed, jolting back as he caught a glimpse of the yellow shutter-shaded goggles around Aizawa's neck, "I know who you are! You're the Erasure Hero: Eraserhead! You can cancel out someone's powers by just looking at them!"

"Wait, Eraserhead? I've never heard of him?" Ashido pondered aloud from the sidelines, her raccoon-like eyes narrowing.

"Isn't he on the list of heroes that look like villains, or something?" Jomei added, looking at Akiko.

"I think so. From what little I know for sure, Eraserhead avoids the media like a plague and operates mostly at night. Maybe that's why he looks so tired?" She responded, staring curiously at their teacher.

'_But why would someone want to avoid public attention? Present Mic and Dad would _kill _to have the media actively seeking them out for interviews – heck, even I would do anything for that kind of publicity…' _Jomei wondered.

"You aren't ready," Aizawa continued after a pause, "You can't control your power. What were you planning on doing, breaking your bones again only to hope someone else could save your useless body?"

"No, that's not what I meant to do at all, I-" Midoriya began, only to be pulled in close to their teacher as his scarf extended and reeled him in.

"It doesn't matter what your intentions are, if you injure _yourself _simply by fighting then you'd be nothing more than dead weight in a real battle. You share the same reckless disregard for your own safety as All Might, though even with that drive, you're useless to anyone if you can only manage a single punch before destroying yourself." Aizawa chided, only to unceremoniously release Midoriya a few moments later with a blink, deactivating his own Quirk.

"I've returned your impractical Quirk, Midoriya. Now go on, take your final throw – and hurry up, there's still more to do after this test is finished." Aizawa finished.

As Midoriya steeled himself and made his way back over to the pitcher's circle, both Akiko and Jomei were eyeing the youthful-looking boy. Though both were aware of what Midoriya had supposedly done, the pair was just as unaware as the majority of Class 1-A of the boy 'destroying himself' in the process. Akiko couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy ring through her crystal core as he looked at her peer. Sure, her Quirk could hurt her if she went overboard with it, but… _destroying _herself? She'd have to be actively trying to hurt herself as badly as it seemed Midoriya once had, and, in that moment, Akiko couldn't help but feel thankful that her Quirk wasn't volatile enough for Aizawa to have stopped _her _when she used it for her pitch.

"Poor guy…" She whispered to herself.

"Right? He's basically like you when I first met you, he's just a little shy and has a powerful Quirk! All because he hasn't mastered it doesn't mean he deserves to be told he's useless!" Jomei exclaimed, his brows furrowing as he glared over at Aizawa.

"Do you think he even stands a chance, at this point?"

"I don't know… it's do-or-die time, he's going to have to get real creative if he doesn't want to end up in dead last in everything…" Jomei trailed off, "Damnit! Aizawa-sensei's already expelled two people, why's he gotta send someone else home when we've all worked so hard to be here!?"

"Because he's just a worthless loser who got lucky when he was accepted," Bakugo cut in from the sidelines, smug as ever, "And you're wrong – I've known him for years, and that runt doesn't even have a Quirk!"

"Yes he does!" Jomei countered, "How else would he have taken down the zero-point villain in his battle center?"

"What the hell are you saying, there's no way he took that thing down! It had everyone running scared in ours!" Bakugo spat back.

If Aizawa heard the exchange going on behind him, it appeared that he was choosing to ignore it, instead taking the time to use some eye drops before deciding to stare down Midoriya once again. It was clear he held disdain for Midoriya, and the school year had just begun! How someone like him could've been accepted to teach at U.A. was beyond Jomei, but luckily for Midoriya… sometimes, being forced to evolve or risk total failure is just the boost he needed.

Before Jomei and Bakugo's confrontation could continue, a resounding _pop _split loudly through the air, and the ball flew with speed and height only Bakugo had mustered before him. The entirety of Class 1-A gasped in shock when Aizawa turned around, barely maintaining his own dispassionate mask behind his own surprise, and displayed Midoriya's result. 705.3 meters. Midoriya had eked out a standing in second place for the pitch test, even if he was nearly doubled over at the moment in what seemed to be pain.

"Whoa, he threw it even further than Bakugo, that's sick!" A boy with spiky red hair shouted.

"And it appears his finger is broken, as well," Iida observed, "Just like during the practical exam… his Quirk is very odd."

"It is broken!" Akiko seconded, "Weird… wait, you said 'just like during the practical exam,' were you in the same battle center as Midoriya?" She asked tenderly, "Did he break his finger then too?"

"I was, but back then he didn't just break his finger – he broke no fewer than both of his legs _and_ one arm. It appears as though Aizawa-sensei's hazing forced him to change his strategy," Iida suggested.

"Talk about working well under pressure…" Jomei murmured, scratching the back of his head as his thoughts turned towards his own performance, "I suppose fourth place isn't the worst possible outcome…"

Unbeknownst to the trio, beside them, Bakugo was silently fuming, mouth agape in shock at what he'd just seen. Not only had his score been beaten, but he'd been beaten by the same worthless runt he knew ever since he was a child. The red-eyed blond let out a growl, charging forward before anyone even knew what was going on.

"HEY! Deku you bastard, tell me how you did that or you're dead!" He roared, palm outstretched as he threatened to use his Quirk.

In a flash, Aizawa's scarf flew forward, wrapping around every one of Bakugo's limbs and stopping him dead in his tracks. The fabric creaked in strain as the sandy-haired student fought its grip, forcing his head to turn back towards his teacher. "W-what? Why the hell is your scarf so strong!?" Bakugo croaked.

"Because it's an advanced capture weapon comprised of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy. Now _stand down_, Bakugo," Aizawa demanded, "It's inadvisable to make me use my Quirk so much," he continued, inflamed red eyes glaring daggers at his pupil, "It gives me a serious case of dry eye."

Detecting he'd successfully disarmed the situation, Aizawa released Bakugo after dragging him further away from Midoriya. Blinking to return the boy's Quirk to him, Aizawa continued staring Bakugo down even as the red-eyed student glared at Midoriya, who was running over to the rest of Class 1-A. Uraraka, Jomei, and Akiko were all crowded around him, asking if he was okay.

"And Bakugo?" He said, not loud enough for anyone in the class to overhear, "The next time you feel like charging another student, remember what happened to the _other two _that picked a fight with one of their peers while I was watching."

Bakugo stared down at the ground, his hands clenched into fists in silence as Aizawa rolled his eyes. "You're wasting my time now. Whoever's next can step up," he droned, waving over his shoulder dismissively even as Bakugo's rage continued to boil.

The rest of the tests after that proceeded without incident. Midoriya had to fight through the pain of a broken finger the whole time, which was something Akiko thought was cruel of Aizawa, but she figured it wasn't her place to question their teacher. Not when expulsion was at stake. During those tests, Jomei excelled at the distance run and sit-ups, whereas his companion's superior flexibility allowed her – as well as most of the other girls in the class – to excel at the seated toe-touch. Eventually, even those tests ended, and Class 1-A gathered near the entrance to the locker rooms to await their results.

Personally, Jomei was more pumped up than ever to see where he ranked among Class 1-A than the rest of his peers, and that was saying something. Among many of the boys of Class 1-A, the spirit of competition was as lively as when Aizawa's test began, no matter how tired their bodies might've been from all the exertion. Akiko on the other hand, looked like she was more looking forward to the shower after the results were unveiled than anything.

"So, you don't look too worried – that's good!" Jomei said, rolling his shoulders as Aizawa came into view with the class' standings.

Akiko slouched somewhat. "Yeah. I may have done mediocre-ish on a lot of the tests, but it's better than some people. Did you see the guy with those sticky purple balls on his head? He did worse than Midoriya on like… five of the tests."

"Oh, you mean Mineta? Yeah, that guy's just _disgusting_," Jomei shuddered as he caught a glimpse of the diminutive man in question. "I'd feel bad for him if he wasn't ogling every girl in class half the time."

Unintentionally, Akiko entered ruby mode. "Wait, he was doing what!?" She yelped.

"Right? What sort of person does that kind of thing?" Jomei agreed.

"One without any morals, it seems." Akiko sighed, holding herself close as if to hide her body from Minoru's lecherous gaze.

"Ok, it's time for you to get your results. I ranked them from best to worst, so you should already have a pretty good idea of where you stand. I'll just bring up the whole list, since there's no point in going over them one at a time." Aizawa projected his completed list without any further pretense, and both Jomei and Akiko began scanning for their names eagerly.

'_Anything but bottom two-thirds, anything but bottom two-thirds, anything but- there!'_

In the upper echelons of Class 1-A's rankings list, Jomei found his name resting comfortably in 5th place, just behind Iida, and two places behind Bakugo. Jomei pumped his fist into the air before turning to Akiko who provided him a relieved and content thumbs-up. Just as she had expected, her name was nestled in the middle of the list, neither a failure nor tremendous attention-grabber by any metric. The pair exchanged a quick high-five before looking for what unlucky soul landed at the bottom of the list.

Despite his valiant performance during the pitch test… Midoriya placed in dead last. However, before Midoriya could even become crestfallen at his placement, Aizawa spoke again.

"Oh, and I was lying, nobody's going home. That was just a rational deception to make sure you were giving it your all." He said with an unsettling grin.

...

"WHAT!?" The greater majority of Class 1-A exclaimed.

Midoriya paled, frozen in place as though he'd seen a ghost, just like Uraraka and Iida beside him. From the sidelines, a well-developed girl named Yaoyorozu brushed aside some of her voluminous ponytail and looked sympathetically at the most disturbed of the class.

"Oh, huh. I'm surprised the rest of you didn't figure that out; I mean, it's not like we were picking fights, it only made sense he wouldn't expel us. I'm sorry, I guess I should've said something," she explained.

Akiko's features returned to their normal colors and she deflated like a balloon. "Yeah, that might've been helpful," she whispered to no one in particular, "Though I suppose I can't fault her logic…" The next thing she felt was Jomei patting her on the back.

"Hey, that was pretty nerve-wracking, huh Kirishima?" Sero faltered, turning to face the spiky red-haired boy.

"Nah, I'm always down for a challenge!" He boasted, his stalwart confidence never wavering for a moment.

"Well, we're done here, have fun picking up your syllabi back in the classroom, and be sure to read them before class tomorrow morning," Aizawa continued, shutting off the holographic display. Immediately, the scruffy-looking teacher was sauntering off who-knows-where, only stopping to provide Midoriya a nurse pass so that Recovery Girl could patch him up, leaving Class 1-A to their own devices.

* * *

Before long, Akiko and Jomei had both showered, changed, and went about the rest of their first day at U.A. without further incident. Despite Aizawa's proclamations of U.A. not being bound by old rules, the majority of the pair's classes that day proceeded as typically as one would expect, consisting largely of more orientation and introductions to their Pro Hero teachers than anything substantial.

At the end of the day, the pair found themselves back at the entrance to the school, deciding to walk with each other at least a small distance before they had to split up once again. The sky above was a clear, soft blue that Akiko's crystal core unconsciously matched, its user more at ease now than she had been the entire time she was in Aizawa's presence.

"So how about that for a first day, huh?" Jomei said, readjusting his necklace over his shirt as he broke the companionable silence that'd permeated between them.

Akiko let out a comfortable sigh, embracing the breeze flowing through her hair. "Yeah, it was something alright – I still can't believe Aizawa-sensei duped us like that. Rational deception or not, Iida was right, it really _was _just a hazing in disguise."

Jomei gestured with his hand in a 'so-so' expression. "Yes and no. I think he really was just trying to get us to give it our all, but I'll be the first to say that with how little you can assume he knows about us, he could've gone about it in a different way. Then again, that might just be how he is; after all, it's like you said, he avoids the media like the plague – so how much can we _really _know about him?"

"Good point, good point… but enough about him." Akiko hummed for a moment, collecting her thoughts before she suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh, right! I forgot to tell you – you were right about Bakugo."

"Oh?" Jomei asked.

His companion nodded. "Yeah. I was thinking earlier that no one could be as bad as you made him sound, remember? Well, I was wrong about that. He really is something else; I mean, what kind of person applies for a hero course and immediately ends up charging one of their classmates?" Akiko huffed.

"A bully, that's who," Jomei offered.

"But at least Aizawa-sensei seems to have an eye on him. Even if he didn't expel Bakugo right then and there, I'm going to try and trust Aizawa-sensei's decision to keep him around. Maybe he sees something in Bakugo that we don't."

"It's possible, I suppose," Jomei conceded. Another pause filled the air between them as the crossroads from which they'd have to depart came into view.

"If it's any consolation, though, I think you did pretty awesome on the Quirk assessment test back there." He said.

"What do you mean? You got fifth place, I placed middle of the pack?" Akiko inquired.

"I mean that despite how your Quirk forces you to not use it carelessly, you still managed to do better than pretty much half of the class – and so far as I'm aware, no one other than you and Midoriya have a Quirk that can hurt them." He didn't wait to see the contemplative look on Akiko's face turn into one of satisfaction at his praise. "But anyway... I'm looking forward to tomorrow! It'll be our first class with All Might! What about you?"

"Oh! It is, isn't it? That's going to be so cool! It's not every day you get to have a class taught to you by the number one hero! What do you think it'll be like?" Akiko asked.

"I have no clue, but I'm pumped to see whatever he has in store for us if you are," Jomei said, stopping at the intersection.

Akiko turned to face him. "Deal. See you tomorrow?" She asked, holding out a hand.

"Yep," Jomei agreed, accepting her offer, "See you then."

Without further ado, the duo went their separate ways for the time being. Though their first day had been something of a roller coaster of emotions, they'd survived it, and so long as they had each other, they'd endure as many more days such as these as it took for them to achieve their dreams.

And deep down? He wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So ya know that hiatus? I got around to watching MHA a third time over and, with this chapter half-written when I decided to start that hiatus, I bit the bullet and kept writing, and fell in love with both MHA and WFAF all over again. Does this mean my updates are gonna be uber-frequent? Probably not. Does this mean I'm still ever-passionate about this project? Darn right! Hope ya had a wonderful day and have a bunch more in the future! Oh, and uh… don't expect every chapter to be as long as this one. I realize that writing 10k word chapters and expecting my readers to read them is a bit absurd, now that I think about it. But who knows? This is a learning experience for me, after all, and I might become one of those long-winded authors I idolize in due time XD.**


	4. New Friends

Within the first two days of attending U.A. High School, Jomei quickly discovered that the prestigious institution's curriculum was as fantastic as it was almost overwhelmingly normal. There was something to be said, that an institution that allowed such extreme use of its students' Quirks, to the point that students often got hurt during physical training, still maintained standardized educational courses; but, even though U.A. was free of the boundaries that plagued most other schools, it couldn't be said that the institution didn't value normal education just as much as its more glamorous courses.

Although the first day of classes was nothing but introductions beyond Class 1-A's encounter with their homeroom teacher, the glitz and glamor of exploring U.A.'s campus for the first time made everything seem extraordinary. This feeling extended even to the to-be-expected first-day orientation that every class tended to employ on the first day of school – from English to mathematics, and to modern hero art history – every class was led by a Pro Hero that without fail, raised the spirits of their students by meeting them in the flesh. Unfortunately for Jomei, however, although meeting Ectoplasm, Midnight, and Cementoss was exhilarating, the fact Present Mic teaching English was going to be one of Jomei's first classes every day only unnerved the would-be hero as he prepared for his second day at U.A.

Sure, it was a given that Present Mic was supposed to act nothing but professional when it came to his pupils, but that didn't stop Jomei from worrying that the Pro Hero would have it out for him the moment he read his name aloud during attendance. Akiko had reminded him that Present Mic seemed to be somewhat too scatterbrained to really care about attendance – an assumption that was backed up by the fact he didn't take it during their first meeting with him – but that only offered the blond a small amount of comfort. Even if he conveniently forgot to look at attendance every day, it was inevitable that Present Mic would see the family resemblance, eventually. All Jomei could do was hope he could keep his head down and fly under Present Mic's radar for as long as he could.

To his credit, his strategy did seem to work. Class 1-A attended homeroom and then were quickly sent off to English class without incident. The subject matter may have bored Jomei to tears, but he still counted himself lucky. After all, to him, it was better to just be bored than be the subject of whatever intensity he feared would result from Present Mic identifying him. What's more, thanks to his low profile and Present Mic's lax attitude towards minute details like attendance, he was able to escape his teacher's sights. At least, at first.

On the second day of class, Class 1-A's modern literature teacher, Cementoss, was running late. As passionate as he was about literature – modern or otherwise – the call of being a Pro Hero all but required him to leap into action if he saw a situation that required his Quirk's durable touch. As such, when the cement-manipulating Pro Hero was forced to call in late, another teacher was sent to substitute for their colleague; and, unfortunately, the only other teacher available at the time was none other than Present Mic himself.

Jomei had practically _deflated_ when he saw his father's rival step into the room and explain the situation. Most of Class 1-A's minds were more focused on their upcoming first foundational hero studies class with All Might rather than the intricacies of H.P. Lovecraft's works, and Jomei was no exception. Not only that, but Present Mic in of himself was an energetic persona that _no one _could endure in too great an amount, let alone when you were trying to avoid being noticed by him like Jomei was. The end result was no small amount of tension, exasperation, and even a small amount of annoyance at the change of plans in the teenage blond.

Despite Present Mic's best efforts to make Cementoss' class interesting – to the point that his pointy mustache seemed to stand on end with the amount of energy he exhumed – it was clear he was losing all but the most dutiful of Class 1-A's attention. As class was winding down to a close, Present Mic seemed to finally pick up on the lack of enthusiasm on his pupils' end of things, and practically _threw _Cementoss' assigned reading material aside.

Throwing his hand up, he struck a pose, finishing off with a distinct flick of the wrist to an outstretched hand over the class. If anyone was looking close, they would see that it was as distinct pose, one that he had used many times in his concerts and in his showdowns against villains. Some of his more devout fans had even learned the fluid motions to this signature pose.

"Alrighty then listeners!" He bolstered, waving a hand over the bored class, "How about we spice up the show?" He preened, pausing for dramatic effect. The class perked up at his words, pulling themselves out of the foggy daze where they had been trapped in since page twenty-three. He couldn't help but bask under the praise.

While most performers needed lights and special effects, Present Mic had no need for such amateur equipment. A true entertainer knew how to get the attention of an audience no matter what setting they were in. There was a reason why he considered himself to be one of the best.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Yaoyorozu questioned with a raised hand.

Present Mic whirled once again, fingers drumming in the air as he turned to face her. Now she was a tenacious student, he had noticed carefully that she'd managed to make it past the stressed and unstressed syllables before most of the others even made it through poetic structure. He liked that kind of energy "Yeah! Excellent question Yaoyorozu! I mean it in the only way that counts! I'm offering all of you in the audience a grand prize, if you can beat my challenge – if somebody here can recite the final stanza of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Raven' from memory, then you're all free to go!" He cheered.

Class 1-A broke out in furious whispers, many of them huddling together in discussion. They first had to figure out who among them would even _know _about the American author, let alone know the poem in question well enough to recite an excerpt of it from memory. There weren't many members of Class 1-A that were eager to endure any more of Present Mic's hyperactivity than was necessary, and it would take a team effort in order to be able to break free from the newly-dubbed 'literature lecture from hell.' After all, although students such as Iida and Akiko were more than content to diligently participate in the full length of their studies, that didn't mean the majority of their peers shared in their enthusiasm.

A boy with a thick tail and a tuft of blond hair at the end turned towards one of his nearest peers. "Hey, Asui, didn't the syllabus say that we wouldn't be covering The Raven until next week?" He asked, his tail swirling behind him.

The frog-like girl poked a finger to her chin. "I told you to call me Tsu, Ojiro. But I think you're right, ribbit." Tsu responded.

"Wait, then how're we supposed to beat Present Mic's challenge?" Ojiro glanced between his classmates in a perturbed frown, "Is he expecting us to have gone ahead of the class on our free time?"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Tsu nodded after a moment of consideration. "What about you Iida?" She asked, gesturing with a shake of her head towards the preening Present Mic, who to everyone's distinct horror, had begun to hum the Jeopardy theme, "You seem like the kind of person to be really into this kind of thing, ribbit."

From his seat right next to her, Iida was staring face down, fists clenched as he trembled in place. "I'm afraid that I too lack the prerequisite knowledge for our teacher's request – however much I may enjoy this course, I apologize for my inability to assist you. It seems I lacked the foresight to anticipate such a challenge!" He quietly exclaimed, unable to look his classmate in the eye with the undue shame that he was putting on himself.

"Hmm… maybe there's more than one reason the school's motto is going plus ultra," Tsu suggested, doing her best to comfort her rigid, uptight classmate. Unfortunately, he only seemed to become _more_ upset, hunching in on himself in a way that Yaoyorozu, having noted the conversation, privately considered to be of bad posture and unfit of someone who was considering themselves to be a hero in the making. She didn't say anything, however. In the little time she had been here, she had become well-aware of the… _unbecoming _dispositions that her classmates seemed to be offering to the institution that had graciously accepted them for tutelage. It was unfortunate that she was already beginning to become accustomed to the fact that bad posture and lack of confidence would be nothing in comparison to other personalities that certain explosion causing, lightning wielding, and perverted persons offered to the class.

At the back end of the room, Jomei found himself idly staring up at the clock, each second dragging on for what felt like an inordinate period of time. While he was by no means a slouch when it came to studying, there was still a certain spark that Akiko possessed for school that he lacked. If she wasn't doing schoolwork or preparing to do so when at home, then she could often be found with her head tucked into some form of literature, ranging from the darkest of dystopian novels to the lightest examples of poetic prose. It was this sort of initiative that allowed Akiko to excel in terms of intelligence where he was simply average. It was that sort of commitment to her education that let her pass the written portion of the entrance exams with flying colors.

Jomei shifted up in his seat as he realized this. Akiko sat to his left, patiently looking over her notes and correcting any errors she found, ignoring the furious conversation all around her in favor of her meticulous once-over. Though she was careful not to make a sound, her lips moved as if she was silently recalling something she'd read; and upon further inspection, her eyes were half-shut, as if she were somewhere else entirely. Before Jomei could so much as ask her if she was reciting to herself what he hoped she was, Present Mic cut in on the class' conversation, having finished his third insufferable round of the foreboding melody. In fact, it seemed to be getting louder, having started to rumble from his costume's speakers.

"The clock's been ticking, listeners! If no one knows those sweet lines, then I guess we're going to have to just keep going!" The teacher half-teased, striking another pose that extended his arms around as if he was trying to initiate a crowd wave. It might've worked too, except for the fact that students had been completely unable to pick a suitable champion to save them from their looming fate.

Class 1-A collectively began to squirm in their seats, throwing sideways glances at their peers in hopes _someone _would release them from their boredom. From a short two rows in front of Jomei, the raved-headed Tokoyami sighed and crossed his arms. "Fools," he muttered to himself.

"And the Raven," he began, shushing the class with the deep rumblings of the melodic prose, "-never flitting, _still _is sitting, still is sitting, on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming-"

"And the lamp-light," Akiko continued dreamily, cutting in Tokoyami's recitation with her own lyrical tone, "o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor-"

"Shall be lifted—nevermore!" The impromptu pair finished, bringing the poem to its final climax and its close.

A silence fell over the room for a few moments. Tokoyami, as soft-spoken as he was, could've been expected by many in Class 1-A to have read some darker poetry before, what with his somewhat gothic demeanor, but _Akiko_? Only a handful of students had even _spoken _to her, let alone gotten enough of a read on her personality to know of her love of literature. Even Jomei was surprised – not at how she knew of The Raven, but rather, the fact she joined in on Tokoyami's recollection of the poem seemingly of her own accord.

Whatever Poe's most famous work had done to enchant Akiko seemed to have worn off, much to Jomei's minor amusement. It was funny, the way he could pick out her individual expressions ranging from dazed confusion to mortification as she snapped back to reality the mere moment silence fell upon the classroom. Tokoyami looked impressed, sure, but as soon as Akiko noticed that the _rest _of the class' eyes were on her, she instantly buried her face in her notebook, blushing furiously.

Present Mic scratched the back of his head and fiddled with his costume's speakers for a few seconds before he found his composure again. Class 1-A's knack for literature was greater than he'd expected, sure, but he was a hero of his word. "Well, a deal's a deal! You're free to go!"

No sooner than when his proclamation hit his students' ears did Class 1-A begin gathering their things to quickly file out the door. Jomei, however, stayed in his seat. While he didn't want to be singled out by Present Mic, Akiko was still hiding behind her notebook, and he wasn't about to leave her behind any time soon.

"If it helps, I think that was a pretty cool thing you and Tokoyami did back there, even if it was by accident," Jomei consoled, placing a supportive hand on Akiko's shoulder as she deflated into her desk.

"Yeah, but everyone was watching me _again_," Akiko groaned, reluctantly prying her face from her notebook as she rose to her feet.

"And no one was judging you, _again_," Jomei countered, and his friend had no grounds to deny _that_ observation. "I'll catch up with you at lunch – I still need to pack up," Jomei continued, and Akiko simply nodded in acknowledgment as she wandered towards the door.

_'One of these days you're going to be confident enough to speak to people, Akiko, I promise you that…'_ Jomei thought as he began to put away his things.

Whereas during English he was always prepared to bolt out the door the moment class ended to avoid Present Mic's notice, where Cementoss' class was concerned, Jomei was often too busy struggling to pay attention to prepare his speedy escape. Not that his inability to focus on the intricacies of literature would kill him – he always could swap notes with Akiko, after all. Unfortunately, his oversight in this instance would be the undoing of all his efforts to avoid the Pro Hero thus far.

As Jomei was carefully walking by the front desk on his way out, Present Mic – who'd been busy cleaning the chalkboard while the rest of the class left – did a double-take when he caught a glimpse of his amber-eyed student. "Hey… just you wait a sec," he said.

'_Oh, here we go…'_

Jomei cringed and braced himself for whatever reaction the Pro Hero was going to have once he got a better look at him. Fortunately, Present Mic's professionalism was about to save the student. At least, somewhat.

Present Mic leaned in, studying Jomei's features before suddenly lurching back and pointing at him. "Oh, wait, I know those eyes anywhere! You're Haruto's son, aren't you?" He exclaimed, and despite his smile, Jomei could only feel like that was more of an accusation than an observation.

"Um… Yes? The name's Nishimura Jomei, but… I suppose you'd already know that if you've looked at the seating chart." Jomei managed.

"Ha! I knew it! So Haruto's son comes along to U.A. looking for the _real _spotlight huh?" Present Mic assumed, sliding his glasses down the bridge of his nose, "Well let me tell you this Nishimura, if you're looking for fame and fortune, there's no better place to have a shot at it than in the hero scene, ya dig?"

"That… that was sort of the plan, yes," Jomei sheepishly responded. Why did Present Mic's enthusiasm feel like it was going to turn into some kind of insult?

"Good on you! Because uh, just between you and me," Present Mic lowered his voice to a whisper, "-the DJ gig isn't all it's cracked up to be. Guess Haruto just couldn't figure that out like you and me, right kid?"

And there it was. The bitter childish rivalry the two man-children of the century reared its ugly head once again. While Present Mic was slowly descending into an ego-inflating rant about how much better being a Pro Hero was than being a full-time DJ, Jomei found his opportunity to escape and took it. The risk of getting caught was more than worth the inevitable headache enduring _another _one of Present Mic's speeches would bring upon him.

The poor Pro Hero wouldn't notice his young charge had escaped him until the bell releasing every other class rang out.

* * *

Another facet of life at U.A. that nearly every student indulged in was the very same thing that offered them reprieve from their studies in junior high – lunch. Akiko never really 'got' people's obsession with food. She enjoyed it like everyone else, sure, but the way some people eyed white rice or a good roll of sushi like it was some elixir of everlasting youth always confused her. Thus, perhaps it was fate that once the time for lunch came around and Jomei was still on his way to meet up with her, that she found herself in Iida's company.

As it turned out, despite however strong his personality may have appeared at first glance, Iida's intense presence was only born out of a passion for schooling that only Akiko and a handful of other students in Class 1-A shared. Since he and the rest of their peers had been released early, the wide-framed boy had sought out Akiko to thank her for what she and Tokoyami did for the rest of the class. Akiko had told him to think nothing of it, and although it'd taken a few more minutes until Jomei had caught up with her, she'd even managed to hold a conversation with Iida on her own. Granted, the conversation more had to do with the intricacies of poetry than anything particularly unrelated to school, but Akiko considered that a victory in her own little way. If she could, albeit unexpectedly, make passing friendships out of her interactions with Iida and Ashido, then perhaps there was hope for her to become at least somewhat socially skilled after all.

Thus, with a companionable relationship established between them, Iida suggested they grab lunch together before the lunch rush for Lunch-Rush's culinary delights began. Without any reason to refuse, Akiko agreed without hesitation. Jomei appeared shortly thereafter, and the two bookworms quickly made room for their third companion in the short line Class 1-A had formed ahead of the rest of U.A.'s student body. Coincidentally, the trio had just managed to take a spot right behind Iida's other two friends – Midoriya and Uraraka, who were quick to introduce themselves to the duo behind Iida. As Iida began explaining how _orange juice _of all things fueled the engines in his calves to the shorter pair, Jomei took his opportunity to strike up conversation with Akiko.

"So, did Iida 'make' you his friend too, like Ashido?" He teased, carefully dishing himself out some of Lunch-Rush's famous steamed white rice.

Akiko rolled her eyes. "I said that about Ashido because she's as bubbly as all get-out. Iida's a different story; as it turns out, he's just as passionate about school as I am, so we got to talking about poetry while you were catching up, and here we are now."

"Oh, so the guy who's a stickler for the rules is obsessed with school?" Jomei spoke, holding his hand up to his mouth in mock surprise, "No way! I never would have guessed," Jomei grinned, ducking back to dodge Akiko's open palm. Even when they were just joking around, you didn't want to get hit by her if you could avoid it – Jomei had unfortunately learned that the hard way.

"Never would have guessed what, Nishimura?" Iida asked, throwing a sideways glance Jomei's way. At what point he began listening to their exchange, Akiko didn't know.

"Oh, uh… I never would've guessed you'd be friends with Midoriya! I remember during orientation before the practical exam you beating down on him for mumbling." Jomei quickly excused.

Akiko sent him a glance that let him know all too well what she was thinking. _'Nice save.'_ Jomei returned a shrug that relayed his response. _'It's what I do.'_

"Oh, Midoriya? To be quite frank with you, I didn't believe I would share any camaraderie with him either, when we first met," Iida confessed, "It was only after witnessing him saving Uraraka without a thought as to his own safety that I realized that he was far more in-tune with the spirit of U.A. than I was at the time."

"Yeah, I owe him a bunch! And what he did during Aizawa's test yesterday was awesome! He really thought outside the box with his Quirk, you know?" Uraraka added, gesturing towards Midoriya to save her and Iida seats as she finished speaking with their peers.

"You could say that," Iida agreed.

"But what about you guys?" Uraraka mused, brushing one of her long brown bangs out of her face, "You two are always together, you must've met before the semester started, right?"

Jomei nodded. "Way before. We met in junior high, I saw a really shy girl that I thought could use a friend, slowly got her to introduce herself, and the rest is history."

And that was the gist of it, really. No elaborate origin story of Akiko being bullied and Jomei running to her aid, no saving her from a villain when they were kids, no desperation for a study partner on Jomei's end of things that led him to meet Akiko. No, their friendship was forged by sheer chance, though neither of the pair were any worse off for their relationship's unremarkable start.

In fact, they were probably better off introducing themselves to one another in an unremarkable way – God only knows how Akiko would've reacted to Jomei introducing himself by heroically jumping in to defend her honor from the quiet taunts she'd get for her shyness back in the day. In truth, such an incident likely would've only drawn Akiko further into herself than she already was when Jomei met her; after all, the idea of someone getting injured defending her hurt more than any taunts or jeers kids could throw her way. To her, avoiding making a scene back then was as simple as staying quiet and keeping her head down.

Of course, Jomei had changed that, in a way. After they'd met and she'd finally been coaxed into introducing herself by Jomei, although she'd still remain quiet when she overheard snide comments being spoken about her when she was alone, when she was with Jomei, it was another matter entirely. The amber-eyed blond was one of the first people Akiko had met to avidly defend her with the motivation of nothing beyond simple human decency in a long time, which perhaps was another reason she felt comfort around him. Of course, she had her work cut out for her to prevent Jomei from turning his verbal clashes into physical ones, but the fact he'd evened out over the years told her that her efforts were successful on that front.

"Well I'm happy for you!" Uraraka smiled, "I really hope things work out between the two of you – you're so cute together!"

If there was one thing Uraraka Ochaco was known for, it was being the most open book in Class 1-A. She never held her tongue, and though she wasn't as blunt as Tsu, her honesty and pureness of heart were pillars of her personality.

Those pillars caused Akiko to practically _burst _into the deepest blush her Quirk and face combined could muster. Jomei didn't fare much better, as he nearly fell flat on his face as Uraraka spoke, barely saving his tray from an untimely demise in the process.

"Wait, what!?" Akiko exclaimed.

"Hm? Wait, aren't you guys _together _together? You're _always _with each other – more than me, Iida, and Deku!" Ochaco responded, using her affectionate nickname for Midoriya as she tried to discern her faux pax.

"N-no no no no! That's- i-it's not like-" Akiko stammered, quickly tucking her head down before scurrying off past Iida to hide her blush as words failed her.

Jomei had finally recovered from his near-collapse at this point, and turned to Uraraka and Iida as he pushed to escape the line. "Uh, Uraraka? That's not- that's not what's going on between us, we're just really close friends, honest!" Jomei hurriedly explained before following Akiko's lead – leaving a highly surprised and confused pair in his wake.

As Jomei shook his head and caught up with Akiko, an awkward silence reigned between the inseparable duo. While Jomei was searching for the will to address what'd just happened, Akiko, as was habitual for her, became lost in her own head.

Uraraka thought they were a _couple_?

It wasn't that Akiko hadn't considered the prospect of a relationship with Jomei before – far from it. The inner romantic in her had always dreamed of finding someone as kind as Jomei to form a storybook romantic bond with, but the waking, logical part of her had always assured her such an idea was nothing but fantasy.

Romance was something Akiko had a complicated relationship with. On one hand, she _adored _reading romantic stories in her spare time. For all the fantastical and nonsensical exclamations of devotion they included, they allowed her to live out her wildest dreams of finding love vicariously through whatever protagonist any given author had conjured up, and that was something Akiko embraced openly. On the other, she really _did_ want such a connection with another person, but a few things held her back from ever exploring such a possibility.

For starters, for all of her intelligence, her ability to read others was woefully lacking, in a sense. She could identify if someone was in distress, as was the case with Shinso, and she'd act accordingly, but in terms of romantic inclination? Akiko might as well have been blind. Not only was her ability to read someone's interest in her lacking, but self-esteem was another issue that plagued her. In a practical sense, she was worried about her talents with her Quirk, but on a more trivial but equally important level to her… she worried about her appearance. It was vain, she knew it, but that didn't stop her from comparing herself to many other girls she encountered, only to conclude she was clearly outclassed. One only need look so far as Class 1-A's own well-developed Yaoyorozu or Ashido to see that – and that wasn't even mentioning the myriad of other women that attended U.A. beyond Akiko's class.

As a result, Akiko had always been willing to content herself with romantic books instead. They weren't the real thing, but she was always better at reading words on a page than she was people. It'd always be simpler to be an outsider looking in on a fictional character's love-life than putting yourself in their shoes, after all.

However. When Uraraka assumed she was _dating _Jomei, an entirely new question popped into her mind – a foreign one that she'd never dared ask herself in all the time she'd known the gaseous Quirk user.

'_Does Jomei have feelings for me?'_

The very idea sent Akiko's heart straight into overdrive, but before she could worry herself too much on the matter, Jomei finally broke the ice between them.

"So… that happened," he stated.

Akiko did anything she could to avoid his gaze. In fact, it appeared Lunch-Rush's white rice was more enthralling to look at than anything else to her, at the moment.

At the same time though, she knew that Jomei wouldn't try to press the issue, regardless of her reaction to Uraraka's mistaken interpretation of their relationship. He'd never given her a reason to feel needlessly uncomfortable in all the years she'd known him, so why would he start now?

"Yeah… I uh… I guess it did," she finally managed.

_'Smooth, Akiko… smooth…' _The young woman lamented internally.

Jomei let out a small chuckle – the kind of chuckle he'd used to dispel an awkward situation, or at the very least, use to help himself cope with it. When he stopped, he let out a sigh and rolled his shoulders before looking more fully at Akiko, who was just beginning to wretch her eyes away from her tray.

"You know, I know Uraraka is as honest as a saint, but sometimes I can't help but feel that I'd like people to think about what they're about to say before opening their mouths," he confessed.

"You and me both," Akiko agreed. She could still _feel _the stinging aftermath of her intense blush, even now, even if it had faded – though it was clear that the color in her crystalline chest piece was far more hesitant to follow suit.

"Hey," Jomei continued, putting on his best reassuring smile despite the tension, "Doesn't change anything between us, right? Uraraka just made a big assumption, she was wrong… no harm no foul. It isn't the first time someone's assumed, even if Uraraka was a bit more… _blunt _about it than anyone else."

So that was how he wanted to go about things, huh? Just let bygones be bygones and not discuss her assumption any further than casting it aside?

Akiko had to admit, that line of thinking did have its appeal. It was better than waiting an eternity for either one of them to address the feelings Uraraka had implied they felt for one another, by far. That, and it was a methodology that'd worked before. Even if it was only used in less embarrassing situations than the one she found herself in, it was still the best option she had at her disposal.

The crystal core from which her Quirk inherited its name finally faded from splotches of embarrassed pink back to its normal amethyst color. Finally looking over to Jomei for the first time since Uraraka unintentionally flustered the ever-loving hell out of her, Akiko found comfort in how unphased her friend seemed to be now. How he could move past such awkwardness was beyond her, but she was more than grateful for it.

"No… no it doesn't," she sighed in relief.

Jomei perked up, at that. "Sweet! So… do you want to find a place to sit? I think that I saw some empty spots over… by…" he trailed off.

Right in the secluded corner of the cafeteria, as far away from anyone else as humanly possible, sat Bakugo. Even when he was alone it seemed he was always displeased with his surroundings, judging by how he glared at his food as if it'd attack him at a moment's notice.

Akiko and Jomei shared a glance that made it clear that they _both _wanted to stay as far away from the bully as possible. For both of their sakes, avoidance was the best measure they could take against the hot-headed brute to preserve their sanity.

Jomei let out an exhale through his nose, and the pair began to walk again – falling back to Uraraka and Iida's table was out of the question, for obvious reasons. "Oh well, I suppose we can always find another table, huh?" He proposed.

Akiko didn't have a chance to nod in agreement before another voice called out to them.

"Hey, you're the rave guy, right? Over here!"

From just a few tables down from where they stood, a blond-haired boy with a lightning-shaped black streak on the fringe of his hair was waving them in his direction. In the corner of the booth next to him sat a girl with purple hair darker than that of Akiko's, and elongated earlobes that descended and morphed into earphone jacks at their tips. The former of the pair was obviously more excited to see Jomei than his companion, but seemed friendly enough nonetheless.

Jomei and Akiko shared a look and made their way over to the proffered spots their peer had offered them. Jomei was the first to slide in, ending up sitting opposite the quiet purple-haired girl, who was the first to speak after her presumed friend.

"He does have a name you know," she lightly admonished, her right ear's prehensile earphone jack jabbing the blond next to her in his shoulder.

"Eh, it's no big deal – we've only known each other for a day, so it's not a problem if you don't remember us," Jomei excused with a wave of his hands.

"But thank you for the spots, though," Akiko added quietly, nodding towards the blond in front of her.

He glared at his earphone-jacked companion for a moment, but then his expression turned back into one of excitement. "Oh, but I totally do! You're Nishimura, and you're, uh… Ta… kar… a…?"

The poor boy didn't have a chance to react before the same appendage that'd attacked him before raced into his ear. As he squirmed against the extended cord, its user casually brought another ball of rice into her mouth before speaking.

"Takara, yes. Ignore him – he's not always this dumb," she sighed, "at least, not as far as I can tell. He seemed to be at least half-competent during the entrance exams, so… he's harmless so long as you can put up with him."

With that, the earlobe-jacked girl retracted her Quirk's appendage out of her friend's ear before continuing to eat as if nothing had ever happened. She even ignored the increasingly indignant glare that threatened to bore a hole in the side of her head.

"Hey! I'm not dumb, I wouldn't have gotten into U.A. if I was!" He exclaimed, jabbing a thumb into his own chest.

His partner didn't miss a beat. "Oh yeah, that explains why you were constantly asking Present Mic to go over pronouns over and over in English, right?" She retorted.

As the pair continued trading verbal barbs, Akiko couldn't help but share a glance with her own partner. On one hand, she was half-tempted to try and break the other students up, but on the other, the small grin that'd plastered itself on Jomei's face told her that she was missing something from the exchange.

"So… am I missing something here?" She whispered.

Jomei shrugged neutrally. "I dunno, maybe that's just how they get along. It wouldn't be the weirdest friendship I've ever seen happen; besides, they seem alright..."

The lightning-streaked blond raised a finger to try and point it at his peer, only to end up hissing in pain as her earlobes swatted it away, all the while not taking her eyes away from her food.

"Give or take some common sense on that guy's side…"

For the first time all day, Akiko let herself chuckle at that. She wasn't one to indulge in laughing at someone else's pain, but the boy she sat across from seemed like he'd die before he learned to be wary of his friend's wiry appendages.

Before he could be assaulted again, however, Jomei intruded on the pair's mutual verbal spar. "Oh, I forgot to ask – what're your guys' names?" He asked.

The boy in front of Akiko conceded his spat with his friend, letting himself lean back casually in as 'cool' a pose he could manage before speaking. "Oh, me? Kaminari Denki, but you can just call me Denki! No need to be formal with friends."

"Considering them friends already? You didn't even remember Takara's na-"

"And _that _is Jiro Kyoka, but I just call her Kyoka," Denki interrupted, cutting off the girl with a wave of his hand.

Kyoka rolled her eyes, but said nothing, instead returning her focus to eating before lunch ended.

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys! Hey, mind if we return the favor?" Jomei asked, turning to his own purple-haired counterpart.

"Hm? Oh, you mean first names?" Akiko asked, but judging by all first impressions, she couldn't find it in her to maintain formality with the pair of peers in front of her. They were confusing in how they treated each other, sure, but they seemed nice enough. Then again, with Bakugo in the same group as them, even a bull elephant would seem friendly in comparison.

"Sure, why not? In that case, the name's Akiko."

"Jomei."

"Akiko and Jomei… got it! Sweet!" Denki cheered, pumping an excited fist in the air.

"You sure are excited," Kyoka commented.

"Why wouldn't I be? Jomei over here gave Bakugo a run for his money during Aizawa's test the other day! Besides, his Quirk looks sick!" He gushed, eyes practically glittering as he looked at his fellow blond.

Jomei pursed his lip and merely poked at his sushi. "Yeah, I've been getting that a lot. Doesn't change the fact that Bakugo always beat me – on the pitch test the guy outdid me by what, 130 meters? Give or take?"

"Hey! You still did _way _better than me and Kyoka, so don't beat yourself up about it. Bakugo may have brute force but it's super obvious the guy's hot garbage when it comes to his people skills – you two not being jerks already puts you on my good list." Denki said, gesturing to his new companions with his chopsticks, "What exactly is your Quirk, anyway? I know it looks flashy, but what are you doing to make yourself glow like that?"

"Oh, my Quirk? I call it Noble Gases – lets me pump the stuff out of my pores, charge it up, and dish it out however I see fit. You?" Jomei asked.

Denki held his hand up and spread his fingers, electricity sparking between his digits as he grinned. "Electrification. Lets me discharge electricity all over the place, making me basically a walking-"

"Phone charger, yep," Kyoka intruded.

"I thought you were done harassing me?"

Kyoka smiled, but ignored Denki as she offered insight into her own Quirk, gesticulating with her appendages for added effect. "Earphone Jacks. They let me plug into things to either hear sounds from super far away or amplify my heartbeat a bunch of times over. It can get pretty intense."

"Nice humble-brag there, Kyoka."

"It isn't bragging if it's true. Besides, it's not like I fry my own brain every time I overdo it with my Quirk." Kyoka retorted.

"Wait, _what _happens when you use your Quirk too much?" Akiko asked with wide-eyed curiosity.

"Thanks for getting that cat out of the bag… yeah, if I go over my limit in output I kinda… turn really dumb for a while. Pretty lame weakness, but I'm working on it," Denki confessed, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

At that, Akiko found her mood beginning to lighten, somewhat. The idea that other students in her class had unusual limitations to their powers wasn't new to her – Midoriya was proof of that, of course – but knowing that someone else in her expanding social circle could relate to her consternation was encouraging, to say the least.

"I understand completely. My crystal core may have a lot of uses to it, but if I'm not careful and I go overboard… it can break." She explained, tapping on her chest piece for emphasis.

Kyoka's eyes widened somewhat. "Wait, so you can bust out the elements like out of some action manga, but you run the risk of _dying_ the entire time?"

"Not quite… I don't think I could ever kill myself by going too far – at least not directly." Akiko explained, "I mean, I haven't died yet so far as I'm aware, the worst I could do is break it and need to be hospitalized, but… it's not a theory I'd like to test if I can avoid it. It's not something I can test twice, ya know?"

"Well, I have to hand it to you, Akiko, wanting to become a hero when you Quirk can do that to you? That takes heart." Kyoka complimented earnestly.

"Wait, was that a _compliment? _From you?" Denki joked.

"I have my moments."

"Well, thank you, Kyoka. I've always dreamt over helping people who couldn't help themselves ever since I was a kid… even if my Quirk isn't perfect for extensive use," Akiko confessed.

"Well, neither is Denki's, and mine isn't perfect for a fight – we're here to learn after all; but still, I think that's a nice motivation you have going for you there. Sounds to me like you're a fan of All Might with those ideals."

Jomei chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea."

Kyoka raised an inquisitive brow. "Idolizes him?"

"Bingo."

"You make that sound like a bad thing… he's the number one hero! I think we could all learn something from him…" Akiko mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in a way that made it clear to the other two that this was not a new conversation.

"True, true…" Jomei conceded, "And we will soon, right? Next class is foundational hero studies with him, after lunch is all wrapped up."

"You must be looking forward to that, huh Akiko?"

"Yeah… but since we're on the topic of motivations… what about you and Denki? What made you want to become pros?" Akiko asked.

Twin earlobe jacks tapped together thoughtfully for a few moments before Kyoka answered. "Hm… I've never really figured out any _one _reason so far, but if I had to answer…? I'd say that it just seems like a pretty punk rock thing to do. I get to live out the hype of being a Pro Hero for real, instead of just watching it from the sidelines."

"So she basically just thinks it's a cool thing to do," Denki spoke, leaning forward in a conspiring whisper.

"And what's wrong with that?" Jomei asked with an incredulous smile.

"Oh, nothing! It's just that I have a _real _goal in mind," Denki said before subtly pointing towards a passing group of female students, "Being a Pro Hero's gotta draw in a lot of ladies, if you know what I mean."

As the electric blond struck a laid-back pose that he assumed would look cool to anyone passing by, Kyoka chuckled. "Oh yeah, Denki, you're really lady-killer material."

"Hey! You haven't even seen me in action yet, give me a chance!"

"Denki, you tried to flirt with me before the practical exams…"

Denki snapped his fingers. "And I'm still here aren't I? If that's not a success, I don't know what is."

"It's called pity."

As dense as Kaminari may have been, he seemed to have been struck with enough self-awareness to not take his companion's bait any longer just then. With an indignant growl at his lost battle of wits, he shook his head at turned back to Jomei, who was watching with a barely-withheld amused smile the entire time. It was clear Denki wasn't the ultimate ladies' man, but he'd be damned if he was going to deny that the electric Quirk user was trying his hardest to look cool – which to his credit, he did achieve, to varying degrees of success.

"What about you, Jomei? What're you looking for outta U.A.?" He asked.

Jomei's hand subconsciously drifted towards his necklace tucked beneath his uniform's white dress shirt. "Hm… you guys know Synth? The traveling DJ?"

"Uhh… he sounds familiar, has he played anywhere important?"

"Wait, Synth? The same artist who got invited to I-Island just so he could perform at one of their midtown clubs?" Kyoka asked, sitting up in a sudden strike of enthusiasm no-one had ever seen from her as of yet.

Jomei nodded. "Yeah, actually! Not a big-time superstar like Synesthesia Auditiva, but not an underground gig artist either. You know him?"

"Know him? Of course! He was one of the first techno artists I listened to when I got into that kind of thing. Are you telling me you're his son?"

The amber-eyed blond's nod in response was all the answer Kyoka needed.

"Ugh… I should have seen it sooner. Your Quirks are basically identical, except for how you can make the stuff he uses in his live shows…" Kyoka sighed, "So you want to be famous, is that it?"

"More or less," Jomei said with a shrug.

"Well, I can't judge you there." Kyoka looked up at the clock by the food line before pointing at it with her ears' elongated appendages. "Looks like we're running out of time. You two ready for next class?"

Jomei and Akiko returned a nod, and all four of the quartet began rising to their feet, many of their peers in the tables around them following suit to dispose of their garbage. Akiko scanned the room, not paying attention to whatever new verbal squabble Kyoka and Denki had gotten themselves into as they got rid of their trays. To the purple-haired girl's surprise, by sheer chance, she did identify someone in the crowd, someone she'd never learned the name of until long after she'd saved his life.

As tired and disheveled-looking as ever, was none other than Shinso Hitoshi.

'_So he _did _make it into U.A… I wonder, is he in Class 1-B? Or did he only manage to get into one of the other departments?'_

Although it only lasted for a moment, the crystalline Quirk user and Shinso's eyes met through the crowd. Shinso looked as unenthused as ever, but he did make a point of it to pause and nod at Akiko through the crowd before he continued sauntering forth to whatever class he had next. Akiko was momentarily taken aback by the gesture – was it his way of showing his approval that she'd made it into U.A.? An indication of envy? Him saying hello?

From what little interaction she'd experienced with Shinso, that single nod could've been any one of those things. For the sake of her sanity, however, Akiko chose to interpret his acknowledgment as just that – acknowledgment, a sign that he was aware she still existed. Considering the difficulty she had finding Shinso before, and the fact she didn't want to ditch her friends and run the risk of being late for class, Akiko decided to leave it at that.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Jomei singsonged, leaning in next to his friend as she stared off into the increasingly empty cafeteria.

"Oh, um, nothing! I just thought I saw Shinso."

"Mr. Moody? So he made it into U.A.?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if he's in the other hero course class or not, and, well… I was curious." Akiko finished as she stacked the tray she didn't realize she was still holding atop the other used ones nearby.

"Won't be the last time you see him though, right? I'm sure you'll get a chance to say hi," Jomei reassured her.

Akiko nodded, and the pair quickly left the cafeteria behind to catch up with their new pair of companions. The halls were thick with the din of students headed to their classes, but even so, Jomei carried himself with the same relaxed, arms-behind-his-head posture he always did when he was utterly content. Or in this case, heartwarmingly happy.

There were many things that made Jomei happy. Food, praise, music, using his Quirk, the list went on, but in this case, the sheer warmth her friend radiated felt… different, somehow. It could've been the amusement he'd shown watching Denki and Kyoka trade verbal blows before, but that wouldn't have explained how quiet he was being while still stealing glances at his own companion.

"Jomei, you ok?"

The amber-eyed boy turned his attention away from the hallway's windows, at that. "Hm?"

"You've been… I don't know, quiet, since we left the cafeteria."

"You want to know the truth?"

'_The truth? He couldn't mean… Uraraka…?'_

Akiko nodded in response, tension mounting in her shoulders in anticipation.

"I'm surprised at how social you're being,"

Relief flooded her body, and she exhaled a sigh of relief through her nostrils.

"Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing! In fact, I'm happy for you! It's just surprising, is all. Yesterday the only other person you knew was Shinso, and today you made three new friends," Jomei elaborated with a soft smile.

"Well, you helped with Kyoka and Denki…"

"Eh, maybe, but Iida was all you. I'm not going to say I'm expecting you to keep going and become a social butterfly, but I will say I'm happy you're getting more comfortable with people."

Akiko brushed a strand of hair in front of her eye behind her ear. "Thanks, Jomei. That… actually means a lot, to me."

Jomei beamed. "No problem! Next stop, foundational hero studies!"

As a more companionable silence settled between the pair, and the din of the hallway petered out into the sounds of Class 1-A headed towards their next class, thoughts that'd been buried by conversation and sound reemerged in the back of Akiko's mind.

Uraraka's misinterpretation of her friendship with Jomei was written off between the two of them, sure, but that didn't stop her from analyzing the aftermath of that embarrassing moment. Nothing Jomei had said assured her either way of if he felt something for her, sure, and he still acted like the same friendly boy she'd known for years, but… that didn't stop that same worrying question she asked herself before from popping back into her head. In the end, she'd quell its hold on her thoughts before it could etch itself permanently into her psyche, but for now it remained, threatening to make her reanalyze her entire friendship if she wasn't careful.

'Does _Jomei have feelings for me?'_

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So for starters… screw it, I really liked the Present Mic scene – though the interaction he had with Jomei had more meaning than the buildup to it, I think giving Akiko a moment of character prior to her POV swap **_**and**_** exploiting the obvious connection edgi boi Tokoyami would have to The Raven was a fun little set piece to imagine playing out. As for the cafeteria scene? Yeah, that turned out **_**way**_** longer than I anticipated - originally this chapter was going to focus on the first class with All Might but ah… Kyoka and Denki had other plans. Not to mention Uraraka's little faux pax moment there, eh?**


	5. Suit Up

_'_Does _Jomei have feelings for me?'_

The question gnawed at the back of Akiko's mind for the rest of the time it took the collective of Class 1-A to arrive at their next class. No matter how hard she tried to quell its ability to overwhelm any other thought, her mind always wandered back to that question. Fortunately, her crystal core didn't change color again to alert Jomei to her awkward feelings, but that was only because she wound up actively fighting to control it. However annoying it might've been to be forced to consciously control one of the most benign and passive elements of her Quirk, the act proved to be somewhat therapeutic.

The first few minutes trying to conquer her emotional tumult was a mess of confusion, anxiety, and heart-pounding inklings of emotions she dared not to entertain. As time went on, however, Akiko successfully figured out a way to push back the all-consuming question that plagued her.

If she couldn't overcome it by trying to ignore the question, she'd simply find something else to focus on. It was one of the few instances where she was thankful that controlling her crystal core's expression of emotion was a hassle. In her eyes, the inordinate amount of effort and focus that preventing her Quirk from revealing her state of mind took was a welcome change of pace that allowed her to escape the indignity that her thoughts threatened her with. Using her newfound strategy of focusing her mind anywhere but towards the source of her problems, she'd successfully ridded herself of the accursed question's influence right as she and Jomei arrived in their next classroom.

If nothing else, the trial taught her a valuable lesson in how to control her emotions, at least regarding Jomei, if the issue ever re-emerged – which was thankfully doubtful, given their prior agreement to drop the subject.

Back in the wonderful realm that was reality, Akiko focused herself back on the task at hand. Foundational hero studies was about to begin, everyone in Class 1-A were finding their seats without issue, and their teacher was nowhere to be seen. Of course, she wasn't worried, since it was _All Might _teaching the course. That, and Aizawa and Cementoss' tardiness had shown that a teacher arriving late was just something that had to be expected every once in a while. As it stood, however, she was simply counting the seconds until class started – both as another way to busy her mind and pass the time.

Before the late bell even had a chance to ring, however, the man of the hour's thunderous voice boomed through the equally titanic doors of Class 1-A.

"I am… _here_! Coming through the door like a hero!" He announced, bursting into the room. Any anxiety Akiko had left evaporated in an instant.

The Symbol of Peace had arrived, and with him, brought the same sheer positivity only a legend that'd saved thousands could exude. Class 1-A's giddy excitement at his mere presence was palpable.

"Whoa! I can't believe it's really All Might!" Denki exclaimed, leaning up over his desk in an attempt to get a better look.

"So he really is teaching here, this year's gonna be manly as hell!" Kirishima added, pumping his rock-hard fist in a masculine show of excitement.

"And he's wearing his silver age costume, too?" Tsuyu observed, fingers touching her lower lip as she drew attention to All Might's attire.

The skin-tight red suit emphasized the hero's titanic muscles, only broken up by white-lined accents and a worn old blue-and-red cape, ever billowing despite the lack of wind in the room. His frontmost twin bangs stood upright of their own accord casting shadows over his eyes, but both his costume and his trademark smile continued to shine with the radiance only a hero with his status could muster. Akiko was nearly breathless at the sight of her idol in the flesh.

"I'm getting goosebumps, it's so…" Akiko quietly gushed, tapering off in sheer awe at the man whom she had admired for so many years. She was right up there with Midoriya who was brimming with his own uncontainable tremors of elation.

"Retro? I know, right?" Jomei finished, both of them grinning as their teacher finished his march towards the podium.

"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. High! Here you'll learn the foundation of what it takes to be a hero and what it means to fight for justice! Think of this as Hero 101! Now," he proclaimed, striking a back-turned pose of a flex, "Let's get into it!"

In a sudden burst of energy, he whirled back towards the class, holding a card with the day's simple lesson plan of 'BATTLE' printed upon it in bold kanji. "Today's lesson will pull no punches!"

Firecrackers flew and sparked in the air behind him, and before anyone could even question where the props had been hiding, a single voice punctuated Class 1-A's energetic reaction.

"Alright… fight training!" Bakugo barked, his normal smirk warping into a truly unsettling wolfish grin of delight. Behind him, Midoriya shrank back in surprise.

"Already? Man, U.A. really doesn't waste time, huh?" Denki pondered, rotating his arm in a small stretch.

"No, they really don't. I can't say I expected it so soon though," Ojiro responded, his tail swirling eagerly behind him.

"Rule number one of being a pro, class," All Might noted, "always expect the unexpected when you're on the job! But of course, a large part of being a hero is… looking good!"

On cue, various panels on the wall of the classroom stretched out, revealing their contents of numbered metallic cases lining their shelves. The excitement in the room grew ever more audible with everyone's spirits skyrocketing to new heights at the implications of what lay within.

"Built specifically in accordance with your Quirk registration forms, tailored to your every unique need, and inspired by your personal requests before school started – behold! Your very own hero costumes!" Suddenly, the Symbol of Peace struck a power pose with his fists at his sides, "Now all of you, suit up and meet me in Training Ground Beta!"

The response of Class 1-A's collective voice was instant and decisive. "_Yes, sir!_"

* * *

Hero costumes. To say that hero costumes were simply designed to make a prospective Pro Hero look good would be like saying fire can only be a force of sheer destruction. As many pyrokinetic-type Pro Heroes used their Quirks to a great number of effects while in the field, so too were hero costumes oftentimes designed to be as fashionable as they were utilitarian.

Every Quirk has some form of drawback when pressed to its limits – or when even used at all in cases such as Midoriya's, it seemed – and every hero costume was developed by support companies that raced to offset these downsides. In fact, the ingenious minds behind the development of hero costumes oftentimes included unique attributes within their clients' costumes in order to not only offset limits, but boost the functionality of an individual's Quirk in the first place; however, this wasn't to say all costumes possess such utility to begin with. The more difficult a Quirk is to work with, the more likely it is that the person's costume will be more of a cosmetic trademark in their future career than anything else – though upgrades were always on the table with U.A.'s Support Course housing its own development studios.

Akiko was one of those individuals whose Quirk seemed difficult to work around. The fact her crystal core was both the source of her power _and _its greatest limit should've been a prime example of how a hero costume could help its user, but unfortunately, the designer behind her costume turned out to be as stumped as her client as to how to synergize Akiko's costume with her Quirk.

That having been said, Akiko couldn't blame her designer – when she was given her 'costume allowance' from U.A. prior to the school year's beginning, she didn't have any big ideas either. She provided the support company with all the details of her Quirk she could, but eventually settled on requesting 'something modest yet flexible in combat, as well as distinguishable from the everyman.' With only a single sentence, a paper about her Quirk, and a rudimentary drawing, Akiko was surprised by how well her costume turned out.

To begin, her shoes set the trend for the entire work ethic behind the complete costume. The short black leather boots she wore may have seemed to be made for fashion above all else, but the sturdy material spoke volumes of the setting the footwear was designed for. Above that, the impact of her simple request to her support company became clear.

Her boots faded into simple form-fitting black pants before transitioning into a matching shirt that, while it appeared to be almost dress-like at first, was nonetheless suited for combat with its material. Towards her crystal core, the shirt was cut down into a V-neck with a somewhat frilled collar to add some flair and draw emphasis to her Quirk's namesake. Around her neck was a simple fabric choker, which would've had a gemstone attached to it if Akiko hadn't declined the designer's request to harvest a small amount of her crystal core to incorporate it into the design. Takai might've had no qualms with such a frivolous exploitation of their shared Quirk, but she had no intent on indulging in that same attitude, even for her costume. That said, it didn't stop her costume's creator from taking the liberty of adding some fake crystals around part of the final piece of her costume – a fashionable belt, slightly askew on her hip. She didn't intend to have one included in her costume, but Akiko had to admit it did look good, so she didn't complain about the last-minute addition.

Giving herself one more look over, Akiko steadied her breath and began making her way towards the tunnel that led to Training Ground Beta. While she knew that her peers would likely be watching her in whatever combat trial awaited them with All Might, she almost surprised herself with how she remained level-headed.

_'Ok, Akiko, everyone's going to be watching whatever goes down, ok, but…! Jomei will be there, _All Might _will be there, and who knows? Even if it turns out to be something insane like fighting against one another, at least there will be other people I know everyone will be looking at too! Still, maybe All Might will have us practicing against bots again…? That'd be nice… doubtful, though. Plus ultra and all that…'_

Shaking her head and looking up at the much-closer titanic walls of her destination, a familiar face waved to greet her.

"Hey, Akiko! What took you so long?" Jomei teased.

Akiko rolled her eyes. "Nothing – just wanted to make sure I had everything in order," she explained, gesturing towards her costume.

"Like you would ever forget anything! Your costume looks pretty cool, if I do say so myself," he complimented, entering an overly dramatic gentlemanly bow with a hand on his chest. Suddenly, he jumped back up to his feet. "But what about my costume? It's freakin' sick, right?!" He cheered giddily, practically bouncing where he stood.

Reining in the infectious smile Jomei's positivity thrust onto her, Akiko took in the sight of Jomei's costume which, by all means, was technically more impressive than hers. That said, the mutual combat-ready streetwear style of their costumes hinted that they may very well have shared the same designer without even knowing it.

Starting her inspection at the bottom just as she had done with her own costume, Jomei's started with his shoes. His black sneakers weren't particularly eye-drawing by any means, but they served the same combat-ready purpose as Akiko's own shoes all the same, with a splash of yellow thrown into the laces and the trim of the sneaker's side. Continuing upward, Jomei's durable black jeans were overshadowed entirely by the stylish jacket and formal-casual collared dress shirt he wore underneath. The jacket itself possessed fringe-less epaulettes matching his shoes' trim, and upon his dress shirt remained the same necklace that was quickly becoming his trademark – and all of it blended seamlessly into the most impressive part of his costume, by far.

What at first appeared to be a simple yellow trim throughout every article of his costume thrummed and pulsed softly to an invisible beat thanks to the neon light strips hidden within. The resulting display was something that would without a doubt catch dozens of eyes if Jomei ever found himself patrolling – let alone using his Quirk – at night in search of villains. If Jomei's goal was to get himself noticed in his pursuit of fame, then it appeared he couldn't have found a better way to do just that.

Finishing her circle walking around Jomei as he struck a cross-armed power pose, Akiko's mismatched purple eyes made it clear how impressed she was before she even spoke.

"Yeah, it's visually more impressive than mine, that's for sure," she noted, suddenly feeling sheepish about her own costume.

Jomei dismissed her concerns with a wave, though. "Eh, it's like I said though! Yours looks good! It's just that… I might've been thinking about my hero costume for years now…" He said with a chuckle, "Oh! And want to know the best part? This thing isn't just designed to get me noticed. No, it's practical too, since the material's porous enough to let my gases through everything – even my shoes! They really do think of everything in those support companies, huh?"

The crystalline Quirk user's eyes widened further. _'They certainly do, it seems...'_

"Uh, speaking of, who made your costume anyway? I know that not everyone's costume is going to look like a streetwear ad come to life, you know?" She asked.

As they began sauntering into the long, dimly-lit tunnel leading towards the training ground, the glow of Jomei's costume became that much more alluring. Akiko even noticed Tokoyami – who seemed to be brooding in the darkness for some reason – spare a glance at the sight. What he was thinking when he noticed it, she didn't know, but it did prove that her friend was sure to be an attention-grabber in the dark.

"Who made it? Oh, a guy called Fujiwara Hiroshi. Ever hear of him?" He asked.

"Oh, of course! Named after one of the first hero costume designers, and one he's descended from, at that. He made my costume too, but I didn't want to assume just because our costumes have the same style and all."

"Fair point, but I will say that combat-ready streetwear seems to be his niche, so it's not a huge assumption to make, really," Jomei said with a shrug.

"You've got that right. Kyoka chimed in, her voice sudden and surprisingly close in proximity, "Keeps him busy with more work than anyone thanks to how 'normal' some of his costumes look, in the end,"

The pair whirled around with a start, finding their lunch-buddies shoulder-to-shoulder behind them. "Uh… how long have you two been there?" Jomei hurriedly asked.

Kyoka might've smiled, but it was hard to tell in the low lighting. "As long as you two were talking about Fujiwara and support companies. Didn't mean to pry, but between my Quirk amping up my hearing and you guys mentioning him, it was hard not to pick up on a few things."

"Like?" Jomei pressed as she passed the pair, resuming the journey through the tunnel.

It was then that Denki snapped to attention, finally having finished fiddling with some kind of device on his ear. "Oh! Like how Fujiwara made your guys' costumes! Can't imagine how much of a workaholic he must've been to make four costumes before the semester started," he mused as he fell into step beside Jomei, "Cool costumes by the way!"

"Thanks," Jomei grinned.

"But wait, you said four costumes? Who else did Fujiwara work for?" Akiko pressed, glancing between the two as she kept in step with them.

Denki smiled and rushed ahead, spinning Kyoka around before she even had a chance to protest and motioning towards themselves. "You're looking at 'em!"

"Denki, you do realize that it's really dark in here, right? I don't think they've exactly gotten a good look at our costumes yet."

"Oh, uh… wait wait wait! Jomei, you can make your gas all bright and stuff, right? Then give us a light!" The shorter blond suggested. He clapped twice in quick succession; a stern gaze focused on Jomei as if he was really concentrating. The three of them exchanged puzzled looks and Denki let out a mournful sigh, "Ah man, it works on my lights at home!"

"Wait, is that what that was?!" Kyoka rounded on Denki, "What do you think Jomei is, a light bulb?"

Denki frowned, "Well yeah, kinda, I mean look at him-" His words were cut off in a yelp of pain as Kyoka weaseled her way out of his grip, rapping him on the head for good measure.

"Clap-on lights wouldn't even work with his Quirk, genius!"

Denki massaged the back of his head, edging away from Kyoka's earphone jacks. "And besides, is that even allowed?" Kyoka asked, voicing her thoughts to no one in particular. Akiko shared in a slightly unsure look, but said nothing.

"Dunno, but I mean, what harm can it do, right?" Jomei shrugged.

With a snap of his fingers and a subsequent opening of his palm, the gaseous Quirk user summoned a ball of blues that grew brighter by the second. Eventually, Jomei let go of the ball and let it sit suspended mid-air, and turned his attention to his lunch-buddies. It was immediately clear that their costumes shared a similar source.

Denki's outfit consisted of a relatively simple assortment of parts. A plain white shirt loosely covered the portion of his torso that his open black jacket – complete with white lightning-shaped patterns – wasn't able to, and a black pair of pants with white lines down the legs gave the costume consistency. The device on his right ear, as it turned out, looked to be some kind of radio, if the antenna on the end of it was any indicator.

Kyoka's costume, however, absolutely screamed with character from the very beginning. Her salmon-colored shirt was strategically torn by the hem and the collar, covered by what was unmistakably a black leather jacket. Further pushing the punk rock aesthetic were her fingerless white gloves, a slightly-askew choker, and triangular red paint marks resting beneath her eyes. The most peculiar part of the whole thing, however, was the stereos built into the shafts of her boots. What purpose they served was beyond either Akiko or Jomei, but it was clear they served _some _kind of role regarding her Quirk.

Likewise, as the taller duo were inspecting their friends' costumes, so too were they getting a good look at Jomei and Akiko's. Kyoka seemed rather calm and collected taking in her friends' new digs, but Denki looked to be too overwhelmed for words, for many reasons.

"What's wrong, Denki? Cat got your tongue?" Kyoka asked.

If it wasn't for the fact he possessed a minor resistance to electricity, with how quickly Denki jolted upright, everyone present could've thought he was just electrocuted. "_Oh, come on! _This just isn't fair!" He exclaimed.

"Wait, what?" Jomei asked, utterly nonplussed.

"Just freaking look at us!" Denki exclaimed, dragging his fellow blond beside him, "Tell me that Fujiwara didn't get lazy! Besides my lightning, Jomei's jacket is _so_ much cooler than mine!"

"To be fair, I think that's just because mine's a bit more high tech."

"That just makes it worse!"

Before anyone could continue, the sounds of someone racing towards the group made all eyes turn behind them. The person in question was clad in a one-piece suit of pale silver armor, a metal collar around their neck, and pointed metal vambraces that extended beyond his elbows. A helmet covered their entire face, covered in holes to allow easy breathing, with two curved horns that resembled mufflers sticking out behind it. Upon their feet were knee-high boots with odd gold accessories, and Akiko likely would've likely figured out who the person was if he didn't nearly roar out his first words to the group.

"And what is it that you believe you're all doing?" He demanded, skidding to a halt in front of the group and whirling around to point towards the glowing blue sphere nearby, "You should all be very well aware that Quirk use is restricted beyond instances of authorization from our superiors or the possession of a provisional hero license! And Takara! I expected better from you – surely you could've stopped Nishimura from breaking code of conduct?"

Akiko was the first to recover from the impromptu scolding. "Uh… sorry, Iida. I didn't mean for us to be breaking the rules! I guess I was just in the same boat as Jomei..." She said sheepishly.

The armored figure – Iida – sighed. It wasn't his intent to come down upon a friend as harshly as his exclamations made him sound, but it couldn't be said that he wasn't steadfast in his adherence to discipline. "And what boat might that be, Nishimura?" He inquired, eyeing up the man in question.

Jomei raised his hands placatingly. "The boat of just wanting to see what our friends' costumes look like? Look, it was Denki's idea and I just played along – vent at me and him, not her, alright?"

Iida rested his hands on his hips and glared through his faceplate at the two blonds. "Be that as it may, I expect better of my peers. We are the best of the best as attendees of U.A. High, and I expect us to exhibit nothing but the exemplary behavior befitting our station! Excited as we all may be to be wearing our hero costumes, there will be plenty of time to appreciate them in the future, I imagine." He finished, turning around to head towards the end of the tunnel.

It was a few moments until he was out of earshot, and Kyoka spoke up. "What a buzzkill."

Jomei snapped his fingers, and the glowing orb dissipated into nothingness. "I'm tempted to agree, but from what I can tell, he's just really serious about school."

The electricity user of the group shrugged. "Maybe, but jeez, the guy could lighten up, right?"

"Let's hope so," Kyoka concurred, "that, or we just need to _not _tell Jomei to use his Quirk just so that we can show off our costumes…"

"Point taken."

Kyoka and Denki then took point ahead of their friends, and soon, all of Class 1-A were filing together into one large group bound for the light of Training Ground Beta. Jomei would've been excited beyond words, but of course, there was something he needed to make sure about before he lost himself in wondering what All Might had in store.

"Sorry about that, Akiko," he apologized.

Surprisingly, the purple-haired girl shrugged, only faintly falling into the habit of massaging the stress away through her palms. "It's not your fault. It _is _kind of my bad for not intervening when Denki suggested you use your Quirk."

"And it's mine because I listened. Guess I was just a bit too excited, huh? No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings."

The gaseous Quirk user smiled. "Cool. I'll be sure to keep a tight lid on my Quirk in the future, don't you worry," he said, and the light at the end of the tunnel grew almost blindingly bright. "Looks like it's show time…"

As Class 1-A slowly emerged from the dimly-lit tunnel, All Might's voice boomed from what felt like all angles even as he stood plainly in front of the group further ahead. "They say that clothes make the pros ladies and gentlemen, and behold, _you _are the proof! From this point on, you are all heroes-in-training!" He announced.

Taking a once-over on the group of aspiring heroes and their costumes, All Might's trademark smile grew even wider. "This is getting me all ramped up! You all look so… cool! Now, you ready to get started, you bunch of newbies?!"

Akiko Takara was many things; an aspiring hero-in-training, a good student, and lately, a friend – or at least, friendly – to more than one person for the first time that she could remember. One thing that she was _not _was someone who could immerse herself in side-tangents where her educators were concerned. She'd endure the driest reading or presentation with gusto, but when All Might began a side-tangent about how he felt as a hero-in-training at their age, even his radiant reputation couldn't keep her attention. As did many members of Class 1-A, she hardly even noticed herself zoning out, and unfortunately, All Might wasn't picking up on this all that quickly himself.

"So… is this going any different than you thought it would or…?" Jomei awkwardly asked, leaning close as not to be overheard.

"Um… yeah. Yeah, it is. Part of me thought that All Might would be… better, at this whole staying-on-topic while teaching thing…" Akiko confessed.

"Right? The guy's awesome but this is just… _weird_."

At that point, the pair were both beginning to tune out their teacher entirely, and thus, it came as no surprise to them that when they heard someone running behind them, their ears immediately strained to pay attention to anything _other _than All Might's endless tangent.

The running came to a halt, and the pair subtly looked over their shoulders to see if anything more interesting was going on behind them.

"Oh, hey Deku!" Uraraka called out. Midoriya was running late. It would've been a surprise if the shy guy wasn't so terribly plain-looking that you'd miss him in a crowd. He seemed dedicated to attending U.A., from what little Akiko had learned about him.

"Uraraka!" The poofy green-haired boy exclaimed in surprise.

And it was no wonder why the timid side of Midoriya caused him to practically leap out of his skin when he saw her. Uraraka's costume was… flattering, to say the least – more so than some of the other girls' in Class 1-A, anyway.

Her hero costume consisted of a navy blue full-bodysuit with a pale pink design down the middle of her torso. Two black circles distinguished themselves on her chest, with two more pink patches nearby her shoulders, both cut off by dark pink armbands that matched the thick choker around her neck. Her twin wrist guards were circular in design, a dark pink handle on the back of each for no discernable reason, with wide knee-high boots and an obnoxiously bulky two-piece belt around her waist completing the look below her neck. Above that was her last accessory, a helmet with a pink-tinted visor, which the designer at least had enough forethought to give enough breathing room in the back to leave her hair well-enough alone.

Midoriya's attire was far simpler, in comparison. A green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, black elbow and knee pads, along with some red boots that were absurdly bulky compared to how short the boy who wore them was. He covered his face with a mask with long ear-like protrusions that emulated a certain legendary figure a few meters away, and a respirator that would've seemed like more of an afterthought if it didn't look like it'd be useful in a pinch.

Akiko couldn't help but look wide-eyed at Uraraka's costume. It wasn't as revealing as… _other _girls' in the class, but it still rubbed her the wrong way. She wasn't naive enough to think that sex appeal wasn't something that costume designers kept in mind, but seeing an example of a female costume showing off just how… _lacking _Akiko thought of herself in comparison just stung all the same.

_'As if I don't have to deal with enough supermodels at home…' _Akiko lamented internally, _'chalk up another costume to being designed to grab guys' attention… great.'_

"I like your costume! It's not too flashy, y'know?" Uraraka continued, unaware of the purple-haired girl's strife, "I really should've been more specific about what I wanted, this bodysuit is skin-tight! Not really my style…" She sheepishly mentioned.

Beside Jomei and Akiko, a certain diminutive individual was caught ogling Uraraka. "I love this school…" Mineta lisped, his lips wetting with desire.

The nearby blond glared at him in response. "Dude, get your head out of the gutter," he chided, disgusted at his leering gaze.

Suddenly, Midoriya and Uraraka were alerted that other eyes were on them. Akiko turned her head back around in time to avoid detection, but Jomei and Mineta both still faced the pair. They quickly dropped whatever conversation they were possibly about to have.

Uraraka then noticed the purple-haired girl beside the two boys. "Um, hey, Takara?" She said quietly, grabbing her attention, "Do you mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

Despite her instincts screaming at her to refuse, she couldn't find it in her to say no. She nodded, and Midoriya soon replaced Akiko at Jomei's side as the two girls walked out of earshot of the boys. It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"Hey, so um… I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier, at lunch," she said, scratching the back of her head, "I totally didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything! I just thought that-"

"Uraraka," Akiko interrupted, her chest piece shifting through colors uncomfortably.

As nice as it was to hear that Uraraka was willing to apologize for her earlier goof, at the same time, the girl with mismatched eyes wanted nothing more than for the topic to just _die _already. She'd only barely managed to quell the thoughts and questions said goof birthed in her psyche, and she was by no means looking to reignite those ideas, no matter how valid or invalid they'd turn out to be if she were to self-reflect upon them.

"Yeah?"

"Don't think anything of it."

"What?"

"You heard me – don't think anything of it. You apologized, that's fine by me, and… that's it. We make mistakes sometimes. I'm just saying… that it's fine. No harm done," Akiko reasoned, holding her hands out in a placating fashion.

"Oh! Um… well, ok then!" Clearly the brunette was taken aback by her peer's reasoning, but she wasn't about to continue pressing what seemed to be a subject that she wanted to have dropped.

Uraraka extended a stiff hand toward the tall purple-haired girl, unsure where her personal bubble's boundaries lay. The pair shared an awkward, fumbling handshake, and the mutual agreement that had been made between Jomei and Akiko was struck once again – the topic would be dropped. And hopefully, it'd never crop up again, lest the reserved girl's heart race out of her chest once more.

Their short exchange had ended just in time, too. Somewhere around the five-minute mark of his tangent, All Might had finally recognized his own error and quickly dropped the subject of his own youthful days at U.A.

He cleared his throat to try and dispel the class' air of utter confusion. "Now that you're all suited up, it's time for combat training!"

"Sir!" Iida intervened with a raised hand, "This is the same urban center that I, Midoriya, and Uraraka attended for the entrance exam – does that mean that we'll be conducting urban battles once more?"

"Not quite! While we will indeed be using Training Ground Beta for our exercises today, I'm moving you all two steps ahead! Most of the battles you witness on the news take place _outside_, but you should know that by all statistics, most battles take place _indoors_," he explained, his voice taking on a dramatic undertone, "Think about it – illegal deals, break-ins, lairs for breeding the schemes of ne'er-do-wells! Real villains stick to the shadows… so! For this exercise, you'll be split into pairs of heroes and villains, and will be fighting in an indoor scenario!"

Tsuyu tilted her head to the side in thought. "Isn't this a little advanced for the second day of class?" She asked, earning a nod of agreement from Akiko far behind her. Jomei, on the other hand, looked rather pumped at the opportunity to show his stuff. That, or he was excited at the prospect of squaring off against Bakugo. Either option was likely.

All Might threw a confident fist up in front of him. "The best training is what you get on the battlefield! But remember, you aren't just dealing with lousy faux villains anymore, you're dealing with real people now!"

Yaoyorozu was the first to reply. "Sir, will you be deciding who wins?"

"How much can we hurt the other team?" Bakugo asked.

"Do we have to worry about being expelled like yesterday?" Uraraka nervously inquired.

Iida didn't miss a beat. "Sir, will you be matching our teams based on chance or comparative skill level?"

"Isn't this cape fabuleux?" Aoyama chimed in, holding up his glittering purple garb.

The bastion of heroism faltered with a frustrated grunt. "I wasn't finished talking!" He choked out, before fishing out an almost hilariously small leaflet, "Now, listen up!"

_'Is that a script…?' _Akiko thought, her eyes narrowing in on the offensive piece of crumpled paper.

When All Might cleared his throat in preparation for his next words, the girl's question was answered. The number one hero was using a script. To teach. At the most prestigious hero academy in Japan.

It would've been hilarious if it wasn't so sad. Akiko could her feel her disbelief mounting.

"The situation is this!" He began, putting on a dramatic tone, "Villains have captured a nuclear missile! They've moved it back to somewhere in their hideout and are planning to set it off!" He paused and looked around, waiting for some kind of reaction from his audience. None came, and a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.

"The heroes must foil their plans!" He continued, "To do that, the heroes must either capture the villains or recover the weapon before it goes off! Conversely, the bad guys win if they either protect their payload or defeat the heroes! 'Capturing' requires the use of capture tape being secured around your opponent!"

"So, basically classic video game setup?" Jomei commented, breaking down All Might's fumbling explanation into one that could actually be understood.

"Precisely!" All Might announced, capitalizing on the brief advantage he managed to get, "Time is limited, and teams will be decided by drawing lots!" All Might finished, conjuring one of two boxes designated that exact purpose out of thin air from the table behind him.

"Wait, certainly there's a better way to go about this!" Iida suddenly exclaimed.

"But think about it! Pros often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot if the situation needs it, so maybe that's why it's being used here!" Midoriya suggested. Timid disposition or not, the green-haired boy certainly knew his stuff about the nature of heroism.

"Ah, I see… All Might, sir! Please forgive my intrusion upon class!" The armored student proclaimed with a bow.

"No sweat, now let's draw!" All Might cheered.

At that point, the Symbol of Peace once again proved… that he made Present Mic look like a career professor by comparison. Instead of the drawing beginning immediately, All Might's lack of foresight in his class reared its head as he still had to fill the prepared boxes with lots. Lots that he still needed to fetch from a duffel bag. And put in one at a time.

Akiko was seriously beginning to doubt her idol's qualifications, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Should she find it funny? Disappointing? A reality check on someone she found an infallible paragon of heroism?

She'd have to get back to that later though, since another thought popped into her mind as the idea of drawing lots sank in. Looking around, she was friendly with five members of Class 1-A – seven if she included Uraraka and Midoriya – which meant that there was still a sixty-nine percent chance that she was going to be matched with someone she didn't even know.

And now she had to partner with them, using her shaky-at-best social skills, to triumph over another team of two other people she didn't know. Needless to say, her crystal core turned a shade of yellow-green as the worry caught up to her, and her fingers found her palms once again for what little relief the habit would provide her.

As always, Jomei picked up on her distress. Whether that was because her crystal core was fighting her or because she was so evidently nervous was another matter entirely.

"Hey," he spoke quietly, trying not to draw attention to her, "need I give you another reminder of your skills like yesterday?"

Akiko silently exhaled through her nose. "No. No, you're right – I shouldn't worry, but still..."

"Well, how about this? How about you don't worry until you know who you're partnered with, yeah? From first impressions, I say that so long as you don't get Bakugo, you're in the clear." Her companion advised.

The elder of the pair nodded, and the color in her crystal core began to fade back to normal. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Immediately after the compromise was struck, the final marked ball All Might had prepared was delivered into its designated box of lots. A quick shake of the boxes later, and it was time to draw. All Might dipped one hand into the boxes on either side of him, and the team-building process had begun.

The first alphabetized team – Team A – was drawn. Uraraka and Midoriya unexpectedly found themselves together, with the former expressing nothing but excitement as the latter quaked in his boots at being paired with a girl, even if a friend. The next team was the six-armed Shoji Mezo and the quiet Todoroki Shoto. If either had any qualms with their partner, Shoji hid it behind the mask covering his elongated head, and Todoroki's stoic expression betrayed no hint of emotion.

After them, Mineta was matched with Yaoyorozu. An admittedly disappointing pairing on Yaoyorozu's side, given Mineta's fast-growing reputation of perversion, but a dream come true on the other side of things. The sheer amount of skin Yaoyorozu's sleeveless leotard and accompanying encyclopedia-holding belt showed – to speak nothing of the window into her chest – was borderline criminal. The recommendation student certainly had her work cut out for her in the battle to come.

Ever expressive, neither Bakugo nor Iida hid their utter confusion and mild irritation at being placed on the same team, though the latter regained his disciplined composure shortly thereafter. On the other end of the spectrum, Team E's pairing of Ashido and Aoyama seemed like they couldn't be more pleased being matched with one another, though whether this was due to mutual ego or genuine kinship was up in the air.

Crossing the threshold into the latter half of teams, the shy, rock-headed Koda Koji and the sugar-lipped Sato Rikido were matched together, followed shortly thereafter by none other than Kyoka and Denki. A short exclamation of excitement on Denki's part later, and the animalistic pair of Tsuyu and Tokoyami were assigned their own duo. Ojiro then found himself on Team I with the quite-literally-invisible Hagakure Toru, and while he was mulling over the fact he was on a team with a 15-year-old whose costume consisted of _nothing _but a pair of gloves and shoes, the final teams were formed.

The penultimate Team J resulted in none other than Sero and Kirishima, both infectiously positive and stoked to show their worth. Immediately doing a count-up of the teams thus far, an unexpected, pleasant thought bubbled into Akiko's head.

_'Wait, that's everyone except…'_

"And last but not least, Team K! Nishimura Jomei and Takara Akiko!" All Might announced, tagged balls hung high in the air on either side of him, "Now please, introduce yourselves while I enter all determined teams into the match randomizer!"

Class 1-A did just that, and as All Might pulled out his almost comically small smartphone to begin punching teams into the device, Akiko felt a familiar presence sidle up beside her.

"So… what an upset. _Totally _the worst possible outcome for us, huh?" Jomei teased with an obnoxious grin.

This time, the blond couldn't avoid Akiko's palm at it playfully smacked against his shoulder. "Oh, hush. You didn't know things were going to work out perfectly this way!" She scoffed, seething in mock-indignity, an accusatory finger pointed at him as their faces met.

Jomei rubbed at his shoulder, his grin unwavering as he let out a genuine laugh. "And you had no reason to worry in the first place! You overthink things."

His slightly shorter companion crossed her arms, but couldn't stop a ghost of a smile from appearing on her lips. How he alone could laugh and tease her this way and bring a smile to her face was a mystery she hoped she'd never need to solve. "And you don't think about things enough! Remember that time-"

Having finished registering every team into his handheld device, All Might had wasted no time in beginning the randomization. "Aha! Attention, everyone!" He triumphantly shouted, the mysteries of the universe having been revealed to him with his victory over his phone. Conversation would have to wait.

Every pair turned to their educator, all eagerly at attention to see who'd be the first to show their stuff. All Might pressed a button on his phone, holding it high above his head before pulling it back down as it decided the first matchup – "The first match will be… Team D versus Team A! Bakugo, Iida, you two will be the bad guys! Uraraka, Midoriya, you will be charged with stopping these evildoers! The rest of you can watch from the observation room below their assigned hideout!"

"Yes, sir!" Class 1-A answered in unison.

As the group began to disperse and walk towards the aforementioned underground observation room, Akiko couldn't help but spare a glance back in Midoriya's direction. His reaction to the news of his match struck the girl as awfully similar to how she would've reacted if she was placed against Bakugo. Trepidation and fear etched itself onto Midoriya's face through his mask, only amplifying into a minor flinch as Bakugo glared a hole into the side of his head; however, the green-haired boy quickly steeled himself, putting on whatever air of confidence he could muster.

She would've gone over to Midoriya to ask what was going on if Bakugo wasn't there, but as it stood, she had no intention of going anywhere near the living bomb that was her red-eyed peer. "Hey, you coming?" Jomei called out from a few meters ahead.

Akiko turned back to her friend with a nod. "Yeah," she answered before quickly closing the gap between them. Whatever was going on between Bakugo and Midoriya, she didn't know, but it was clear that whatever happened next, it was going to be one hell of a first match.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Fun Fact! I actually intended this to be a chapter ending after 3 matches and at the beginning of Akiko and Jomei's battle trial but um… you can see where my thought process went. Too many good chances for characterizing Class 1-A and our two wholly original friends to pass up, and all – even if it **_**is **_**safe to assume you've seen the anime or the manga. Besides, if I didn't characterize the rest of the cast, it'd be rather rude of me to force the reader to rely on their outside knowledge of MHA to enjoy scenes when I bring up vague characters like Sato and early-Season-1 Kyoka, y'know? So, less action than I intended for our duo, but… I feel like for the sake of pacing it made sense, and I'll likely continue with this whole 'pace as feels right' deal. Still new to this whole writing deal. Hope ya enjoyed, though! Even if it did lack Jomei POV.**

**Oh, and here's a thing that I dunno will ever have meaning; Jomei was born May 12th, and Akiko was born April 26th – meaning that they both turn 16 relatively early in their U.A. careers! Doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, but fun to think about nonetheless, imo. Oh, and here's a note to help ya guys out down below…**

_**Overall Teams: **_**  
****A:**** Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco  
****B:**** Shoji Mezo & Todoroki Shoto  
****C:**** Mineta Minoru & Yaoyorozu Momo  
****D:**** Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya  
****E:**** Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga  
****F:**** Koda Koji & Sato Rikido  
****G:**** Jiro Kyoka & Kaminari Denki  
****H:**** Asui Tsuyu & Tokoyami Fumikage  
****I:**** Ojiro Mashirao & Hagakure Toru  
****J:**** Sero Hanta & Kirishima Eijiro  
****K:**** Nishimura Jomei & Takara Akiko**


	6. Battle Trials, Part 1

In the short span of time that it took Class 1-A to travel from the outskirts of Training Ground Beta to the first match's observation room, Jomei found himself thinking. Granted, this in of itself wasn't a revelation – the blond's mind often raced, thinking about one thing or another, but one topic, in particular, stuck in his mind. What he didn't know was that it was the same one that Akiko had been wrestling with beneath his notice: Uraraka's earlier gaff concerning their relationship.

However painfully awkward the aftermath of the incident was at first, Jomei couldn't fault the girl for her assumption. She was right observing how often they were seen together, to be sure. Merely two days into the school year, and with so little knowledge of one another, seeing a boy and a girl be so utterly inseparable was bound to bring about its fair share of rumors. In fact, it's not like Uraraka thinking the two of them were dating was the first time such a thing had happened. The difference in her case, however, was that she was _far _blunter and more up-front about it than anyone before her.

Jomei could deal with blunt statements. Having a police officer as a mother meant that sometimes bluntness was just a part of life for him, but that didn't mean he was immune to it, especially where his relationship to Akiko was concerned. If Akiko wasn't next to him when Uraraka made the assumption, he may have handled the incident with more grace, but seeing her reaction the moment it happened was another matter entirely. Seeing how his friend's crystal core revealed her state of mind, old feelings he'd long since made peace with were brought back to the forefront of his thoughts. He may have hidden it well behind his sociability, playfulness, and excitement over his hero costume, but they were still there.

The young blond might not have been what people would call 'the epitome of book smarts,' but he knew his own emotions well. He knew from a few months after he'd coaxed Akiko into speaking with him for the first time that he harbored some form of feelings for her. At first, he thought it was just a passing crush that he'd had with a few friends before her, but time went on, and his feelings didn't go anywhere. It may have been painful at the time, but with this in mind, one day, he sat himself down and took the time to think through his feelings for his purple-haired peer.

Was it a matter of boyish attraction? Certainly, that could've been a part of it, but the further he delved into the recesses of his own mind, the more he found that he simply had an affinity for Akiko. She appreciated him, encouraged him, and kept him grounded when his youthful aggression would've gotten the better of him. In turn, he did the same, offering his kinship while keeping her rooted in reality whenever she overthought her problems or life seemed insurmountable. It was a simple bond, but it was one that didn't lose any of its meaning due to its simplicity.

Try as he may, however, there were hang-ups that the aspiring hero possessed that prevented him from testing the waters of moving their relationship forward. The greatest of these withdrawals was, and remained to this day, general feelings of inadequacy. By outward appearances, Jomei was confident in most things he did, but that didn't mean he deluded himself into thinking he was 'great' at anything – especially relationship-wise.

It was another reason he tried so hard when it came to his Quirk. Not only did he want to become a pro and be noticed for being one, but he wanted to prove to himself that he was at least worthy of being noticed in the first place. Maybe then he'd coax himself into seeing how deep his and Akiko's friendship really went, but for the time being, he was focused on quelling these old feelings as soon as possible.

Fortunately, he noted, bearing witness to his peers duking it out in a no-holds-barred test of their skills could only help him in this regard. It was a perfect distraction, really. Learning of his classmates' Quirks and seeing what techniques their years of training enabled them to do appealed to the testosterone-fueled part of him that'd died down over the years. He may have learned to keep a tight lid on his urge to fight, but that didn't mean he didn't still enjoy it – whether watching or participating, it didn't matter. In a world filled with Quirks, and a class full of Japan's brightest heroes in training, any battle was sure to be one to remember. All elements combined, and the battle trials were sure to be the perfect remedy to alleviate the awkwardness in his thoughts before long.

Of course, the fact Bakugo was first up on the docket for him to observe was icing on the cake. However unlikely it seemed by what backlash Midoriya had endured during Aizawa's test, the gaseous Quirk user was firmly rooting for the green and brown-haired underdogs. He hadn't forgotten how much of a pain Bakugo was when they raced for points during the practical exam.

All Might was still on his way back to the rest of the class after seeing the two teams off, and providing them last-minute advice, which left the rest of Class 1-A carrying on their own conversations. The amber-eyed teen ignored most of the noise, however, instead electing to focus on watching Bakugo. Even now as he and Iida prepared their defense of their payload, he seemed to be a powder keg of rage, always teetering on the brink of going off.

He was a brute and a bully, plain and simple. And Jomei hated him for it.

"You ok there?" Akiko asked, breaking him out of his brooding.

"Hm? Yeah… more or less." Jomei replied, crossing his arms.

"Is this about Bakugo?"

It wasn't a hard assumption to make, given how hard her friend was glaring at the screens focusing on him. He let out a sigh, and his stiff posture loosened. "It is. I just can't get over this guy – thinks he's on top of the world and everyone else should kneel before him for some reason."

"He did score the highest on the practical exam… he must have some kind of pride in his Quirk. Maybe that's it?" Akiko suggested.

"Even if it is, that doesn't mean he has a right to act the way he does if he wants to be a hero. I have pride in my Quirk, but you don't see me charging someone I don't like on the first day of school, you know?" As he explained, he gestured towards the spiky-haired boy on-screen.

Jomei sighed again. He knew he was dwelling on the matter of Bakugo far more than was healthy, but he couldn't get it out of his head how detestable his peer's attitude towards others was. It was the same flagrant disregard for human decency that he actively fought against when people would tease him or his friends behind their backs. He didn't let it slide then, and he wouldn't let it slide now.

"I do know, but just try to remember that you can't afford to bog yourself down in what Bakugo is like. We're avoiding him, and if he becomes an issue… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Don't spend too much energy worrying about him." Akiko advised, patting her companion on the shoulder.

"I don't plan on it, but you can't fault me for having beef with him. I guess this battle is going to decide if he's going to get an annoying ego boost or get his reality check, huh?" Jomei suggested.

Akiko nodded in agreement. "So I guess that means we're rooting for Midoriya. Which sucks, because Iida's actually a pretty nice guy!"

Jomei returned a shrug. "Bad luck on his end, for sure. But yeah, we totally need to root for Midoriya to win this thing unless we want Bakugo to be even more annoying. On the bright side… if Team A wins, I get the feeling red-eye over there is going to be _pretty _mad."

"Because of how he reacted to Midoriya's throw, right?"

A snap of his fingers and a point in her direction followed. "Bingo. Whatever reason he has for hating him, it'll sting like hell if he loses to someone he thinks is weak."

At that point, conversation in the observation room was winding to a close, and the rapid tap of footsteps rushing towards Class 1-A could only mean one thing. Ashido and Aoyama both had to book it from their position near the door unless they wanted to get crushed. Fortunately, their reflexes saved them from an untimely demise.

"I am… HERE!" All Might roared, the door practically splitting straight through the door stopper with the speed he entered the room. "Now, class, who's ready to bear witness to the battle ahead?"

Despite having nearly been crushed, Ashido's spirits were as high as ever. "I know I am!" She exclaimed with a bounce into the air.

Stepping up to the front of the observation room, All Might gave the rest of his class another once-over. They were the next generation of peacekeepers in Japan, and today would be instrumental in showing their strengths and weaknesses as fighters.

The number one hero activated the above building's intercoms and cleared his throat. "Alright! Team A, Team D, I hope you're ready, because your time starts now!"

Fetching an earpiece and a clipboard to grade the trial, All Might turned over his shoulder and looked meaningfully back at Class 1-A. "Now pay attention kids, and think about you would do. Observation and planning are vital skills in battle – especially in delicate situations like this." He advised, turning back to the display on the titanic screen in front of them.

All Might enlarged the display focusing on Team A entering the building, drawing most of the class' attention. Considering the fact that they were up against a living bomb and a man who could move at highway speeds, stealth was a good option for them to start out with. After all, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Team D's Quirks outmatched their opponents – at least at their current level of skill.

Even lacking open space to reach his maximum speed, Iida's kicks would always prove dangerous. Likewise, Bakugo's explosions produced concussive force that no fool would dare take head-on in a fight. Unfortunately for Team A, it didn't matter how much technique they had – in any kind of brawl, Team D would have them beat. Midoriya breaking himself by using his Quirk, and the fact Uraraka had to touch whatever she wanted to remove gravity on was proof of that. The one advantage they did have was Bakugo's temper, but even that was a double-edged sword, for obvious reasons.

As the anticipated underdogs made their way through the halls, Jomei's eyes drifted to check on Bakugo. In the few moments he wasn't paying attention to the ill-tempered 'villain,' Bakugo had already skulked off away from his teammate. It may have been a tactical decision between him and Iida, but Jomei was more inclined to believe this was his explosive ego rearing its ugly head again.

And, looking at him, his costume designer might've recognized he possessed such a personality, too.

His hero costume was comprised of a tight black sleeveless tank top, given an orange X across its torso, ending with a metallic neck brace acting as his collar. Two dots lined the left side of the X, which towards his waist gave way to a belt with, unmistakably, grenades that could be filled with the boy's explosive sweat. His knee-high combat boots kept up the orange-and-black aesthetic alongside his jagged mask, which went around the back of his head, leading into orange-trimmed explosive flares of material at the back. The most interesting, if disturbing, part of the whole thing were his grenade-like gauntlets. Judging by their resemblance to oversized grenades, it wasn't much of a logical leap to assume that they must've been designed with destruction in mind for whatever purpose they served.

_'Think you wanna look a little bit more like a villain there, bud?' _Jomei thought spitefully.

Upon closer inspection between the largest screen and the one Bakugo was at, a peculiar thought occurred to him. He turned towards All Might.

"Hey, isn't he headed towards-"

He had no time to finish his sentence, as Bakugo leapt high as he rounded a corner… leading directly to Team A. His palm surged forth, aimed squarely at Midoriya, who barely avoided being torched by the ensuing explosion that consumed the wall. The green-haired boy's mask was quickly revealed to have had its entire left side torn, but fortunately, both he and Uraraka had avoided the sudden attack.

"He snuck up on him!" Mineta gasped.

Kirishima slammed his fist into his palm. "Sneak attack, Bakugo? What kind of cheap crap is that?"

"Ah, but it's a sound strategy, is it not? He's playing his part perfectly. A true villain doesn't care about playing fair." All Might explained.

Ashido appeared next to Kirishima. "Well, Midoriya dodged it! Team A might have a chance after all, right?"

"Wait, look, there he goes!" Denki intruded, pointing at the big screen.

Bakugo had entered a full-on charge towards his opponents, his right arm outstretched and ready to blast away. Jomei fully anticipated Midoriya to end up getting knocked to the other end of the building, but instead, the timid boy shocked all of Class 1-A with what he did next.

Without a shred of hesitation, Midoriya dashed forward. He intercepted Bakugo's right hook with both of his arms, and in the moment the brazen blond was taken aback by the counter, threw his opponent right over him and onto his back. Some members of the spectators winced in response; others gasped in surprise at the sudden display of skill.

"And he didn't even use his Quirk…" Jomei whispered.

There was no time for celebration, however, as Bakugo pounced to his feet and whirled on Midoriya, ignoring Uraraka behind him. He looked like a caged animal, and no one dared to wonder what was going through his head.

The explosive Quirk user snarled out something inaudible, and on another screen, Iida hunched over in either consternation, frustration, or a mix of the two. It was at this moment Jomei realized the lack of any sound from the displays, and Kirishima vocalized his thoughts soon after.

"Hey, can we get some audio, here? I can't tell who he's talking to!" He wondered.

All Might shook his head and pointed towards his earpiece. "Every team is provided a frequency-specific radio prior to their battle. For the sake of this lesson, that also means that there can be no listening in from afar, for the rest of you. Coming up with your own strategies is still a pivotal part of the trials ahead – remember that."

As Kirishima mused on this, Jomei thought the logic checked out. However minor an inconvenience it was, the lack of audio did prevent the rest of the teams from having too much of an advantage after watching their peers' battles. Beside him, Akiko shifted, and her mismatched eyes fixed themselves on the timer in the top right of the monitor. Thirteen minutes remaining and counting.

"So… the heroes only have 15 minutes and they have no clue as to where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" She asked, looking at Jomei.

"That seems to be the case, yeah." He responded.

"Then that means the heroes are at an inherent disadvantage!" She observed.

Their conversation must've been overheard by many, as All Might cast a look at the pair before turning to face them. Fortunately for Akiko, the rest of the class' attention stayed fixed on the Pro Hero. "Indeed. But that's just the name of the game! Real pros need to outwit villains on the daily! To fight even when the odds are stacked against you – that is what it means to go beyond! Plus ultra!" He professed, punching a fist above him.

Class 1-A followed suit, mimicking the action and the school motto on a collective instinct brought about by the Symbol of Peace's charisma. All Might's smile grew as he let out a chuckle of approval at the display.

"Monsieur, the brigand is on the move." Aoyama cut in, his gaudy winged visor glinting with the movement of his head.

Everyone's attention moved back to the display, and whatever short exchange the two teams had been engaged in had finally ended. Bakugo moved his palms to face the floor, detonating another blast that sent him surging forth. He twisted his left leg into a spin-kick aimed square at Midoriya's head, but the green-clad boy reacted perfectly.

His arms crossed into a guard that rendered the kick ineffective right as he shouted something in Uraraka's direction that sent her running. Likely towards the nuclear missile, if their strategic intelligence wasn't being called into question. At the same time, a white strip of tape began to form around Bakugo's leg that was still pressed against his block. It took a moment for Jomei to realize what this could possibly mean for his one-sided rival.

"The capture tape!" Jomei exclaimed in sudden realization. "Is he about to take out Bakugo?!"

The red-eyed animal didn't waste a breath. The second it registered what Midoriya was trying to do, a vengeful right hook followed. Midoriya dodged the attack, but the ensuing shockwave of Bakugo's explosion forced him back far enough that the villain now possessed the range advantage. With this disadvantage in mind, the green-haired boy did what any sane person would do in his situation.

He turned tail and ran.

Bakugo had been preparing another explosive charge at his opponent, and was momentarily taken aback, it seemed. In the precious few seconds it took for him to realize Midoriya's change in strategy, his opponent had already woven his way around two corners. Bakugo ran in pursuit, sure, but it wasn't long before he stopped and began fuming.

Even through the silent screens, his shouts and roars of unyielding rage could be felt just the same as if you were on the receiving end of the tiny explosions that now sparked in his palms. As he began his destructive one-man hunt for Midoriya, no one in the observation room was dense enough to misinterpret the display in front of them.

"That guy has some _serious _anger issues. It's kind of scary." Denki admitted.

Jomei cast a displeased look over his shoulder. "Oh, you have no idea…"

"You know him?" Kyoka questioned, idly twirling an earphone jack in her fingers.

"I know that he was a complete ass to me during the practical exam – does that count?"

"Fair enough," Denki conceded. Kyoka shrugged along.

While Akiko's eyes were still glued to the manhunt-turned-rampage on-screen, the brooding blond's glare at Bakugo only deepened as he recalled that day. Specifically, right after he got revenge on Bakugo for destroying his three-pointer by stealing twelve points back.

_"How about that? Pretty good for an extra, huh?" Jomei pointed out, smiling cockily like the other boy had a mere handful of moments ago._

_The red-eyed blond simply growled and clenched his fists before crouching down again. "Stay out of my way or I'll hurt you so bad you'll never walk again!" He shouted, letting out a roar as he catapulted himself in the direction of the few faux villains to be seen for blocks around._

Jomei may not have thought much of it at the time, since he had the exam itself and his attempts to one-up Bakugo to distract him, but now was not then. Now he had all the time in the world to think on the matter.

Bakugo may have not realized it, but by making that threat to someone whose mother was _crippled_, he'd made an enemy out of the young Nishimura. Jomei may have overcome his sudden urges to pick fights over bullying over the years, but that didn't mean he was incapable of holding a grudge once someone gave him a reason to dislike them. Especially when the cause of a person becoming his enemy hit so close to home. His mother was his childhood hero when she worked as a police officer, and she still was now, wheelchair-bound though she may be.

So no, Bakugo wasn't merely a bully with a powerful Quirk and an ego to match. No, he was someone who'd insulted Jomei's _family_. He was the bastard student of Class 1-A whose every action only kept digging himself a deeper hole as time went on. Jomei prayed he'd be taken down a peg now more than ever.

_'Never gonna walk again, huh? Karma's going to hit you like a truck someday, Bakugo. For both our sakes, let's hope that's today.'_

Jomei shook his head, trying to focus his attention anywhere other than the source of his anger. It was a strategy Akiko had taught him long ago, and it was something he employed often when his emotions threatened to get the better of him. Instead, he followed his companion's line of sight towards another screen – towards Uraraka. Midoriya was still undetected amidst Bakugo's search for him.

True to his assumption, Uraraka had successfully made her way to the room Iida and the accompanying nuclear weapon were located. She could've very well continued to stealthily work her way around the room, if it wasn't for what happened next.

From what little interaction he'd had with the well-built boy, he gave the impression that he was nothing if not a boy scout. Someone who'd always do the right thing and adhere to the rules. That said, that didn't mean he could fully embrace what it meant to be a 'villain' when his moral compass was so firmly in the light. The resulting attitude and body language he adopted was cartoonishly cheesy, causing Uraraka to break out in uninhibited laughter.

Which just so happened to blow her cover entirely.

Iida began a slow, villainous march towards her, and Team A began speaking as Uraraka was slowly moved backward. Hopefully, their conversation was to coordinate some kind of plan, because in the next moment, Bakugo had appeared at the end of the hall Midoriya was hiding at. The timer for their trial had just ticked down to six minutes.

The pair traded a few unintelligible words, the underdog armed with nothing but a strip of capture tape in contrast to his foe's explosive hands. Bakugo raised one of his grenade-shaped gauntlets and pulled back the lever, revealing a second-stage pin that could be pulled. And he was aiming the device directly at Midoriya's chest. The implication hit both members of Team K simultaneously.

"Wait," Akiko lurched.

"He's-" Jomei managed, looking desperately over at All Might.

Thankfully, their teacher wasn't blind to what was happening either. "Young Bakugo, stop this at once! You'll kill him!" He demanded through the intercom.

Bakugo either didn't care or didn't hear the warning, and in the blink of an eye, he pulled off the second-stage safeguard. The explosion took a moment to expand, but it quickly and horrifically consumed the hallway where Midoriya had no time nor room to dodge. The hero was consumed by the blast and the cameras went static as the display searched for an operable point to spectate from. Not only that, but even stories below the attack, the observation room shook as though Class 1-A had just been bombed.

"Come in, Midoriya! Are you alright? Come in!" All Might implored, and the display flickered back to life. Jomei's heart dropped at what he saw.

It was like the scene of a terrorist attack. A large room-sized hole existed where the side of the building used to be, and concrete, glass, and rebar were scattered about the room the camera once monitored. Bakugo stalked into the room with nothing short of sadistic glee in his eyes and spouted something that probably only stroked his own ego. The dust eventually settled, and by some miracle, Midoriya was revealed to have survived the inferno. His costume's right arm and the rest of his mask was torn to shreds, but he was alive.

That didn't change the frustration that began to bubble once more inside of Jomei, however.

Meanwhile, Uraraka didn't waste a moment. Iida was presumably distracted by the blast and was speaking into his earpiece, but Uraraka had already begun a rush towards the weapon. The villain moved to intercept the brunette, but it seemed the gravity-manipulator had other plans. She touched her fingers into her palm and sent herself hovering high above Iida's head, soaring towards the weapon Team A was supposed to capture.

"Huh, so infinity girl _can _make herself float," Jomei heard Denki say.

Iida, however, reacted just as quickly. The missile must've been made of something light, because as he raced with his Quirk to foil his foe's attempt at victory, he carried the weapon away to the other side of the room with nearly no effort in his movements. Uraraka then crashed in an unceremonious heap into the wall at the other side of the room, back at square one.

In the ruins of one of the lower floors, Midoriya made another gamble. He ignored Bakugo in favor of speaking into his earpiece. Whatever he was doing, it would likely end up making or breaking his entire battle trial.

In the meantime, Jomei's anger began to boil over. Not at the difference in power between Bakugo and Midoriya, but rather, the fact that All Might didn't intervene to stop what was one of the most dangerous attacks witnessed in Class 1-A yet. His crossed arms tightened, his index finger drumming a dangerously irritated beat on his other arm.

"Sir, don't you think this is getting a little bit crazy?" Kirishima asked, "This Bakugo guy's acting really wild."

"I agree," Akiko concurred, "this is getting out of hand – someone could get seriously hurt!"

"No, I won't stop the match. Not yet." All Might pledged.

"What do you mean, 'not yet?!'" Jomei intruded with a shout, "Bakugo just tried to freaking _murder _Midoriya right in front of us! He ignored your warning and let out a blast that tore apart concrete! What more do you need to see?!" He finished, pointing at the unstable blond on screen.

All Might took a moment to respond, and a more tense few seconds there never was for Class 1-A thus far. "I know it may appear that young Bakugo may have had lethal intent in mind, young Nishimura, but I believe that to be firmly not the case," he said carefully.

The Symbol of Peace's words did little to placate his pupil. The incredulous look on his face informed him of that much, and so, another attempt to appease him was made. "But rest assured, I'm not going to let him do something so reckless to his opponent again," he assured with grim resolve.

Jomei's tension seemed to dissipate somewhat at that, and as he stepped back towards Akiko, All Might's attention turned back towards the battle at hand. "Bakugo! If you use that stored up power again, I _will _stop this fight! Your team will lose, understood?" When Bakugo clearly reacted negatively, he continued.

As All Might chided the Team D member for his poor strategy, Akiko tapped Jomei on the shoulder behind him. The amber-eyed boy turned around, tearing his eyes away from the battle's display to meet his teammate, Denki, and Kyoka all looking at him.

"What's up?" Jomei said with uncharacteristic passiveness.

Akiko shook her head as if to say, 'not me, _them_' and she put a thumb over her shoulder to direct his attention towards Kyoka. Denki just looked uncomfortable with how Jomei was acting, at the moment.

"Look, Jomei, I know you said Bakugo was a jerk to you during the entrance exam, but what gives? You just reacted like you've had a vendetta against him for months," Kyoka stated.

"You want to know what my problem with him is? My problem is that Bakugo runs over everyone in his path _nonstop_.He's a bully who'd be better off as a villain than someone trying to help people. Am I wrong?" Jomei said, casting a frustrated look over his shoulder as he turned back around.

Both Kyoka and Denki had no response for that. He had a point.

Akiko, however, knew that his offhand mention of hating him for being a bully ran far deeper than Team G could've known. She knew firsthand just how vehemently Jomei despised people like Bakugo. After all, she was the one that had to reign in his vicious responses to such people all those years ago. For now, though, she elected to let Jomei calm down in his own time. There was no forcing it now, not when the source of his agitation was still right in front of him.

All eyes in the quartet moved back to the battle display, though Akiko winced at the sight and wished that she hadn't.

In the few moments between when All Might was done chiding Bakugo and now, Midoriya had been turned into a glorified punching bag. Explosive punches, kicks, and overhead tosses were what Midoriya was being subjected to, and the assault was so rapid that he didn't even have a chance to defend himself. His face contorted in pain, and the atmosphere in the room grew ever more tense.

"This is super hard to watch! All Bakugo has to do is wrap the tape around him, not beat him!" Ashido cried.

At the back of the room, Tokoyami shook his head. "There's a fine difference between embracing darkness for the sake of doing good and needless indulgence. I believe this Bakugo has trouble differentiating the two."

"That may be so, but you can't deny that he's actually quite intelligent," Todoroki chimed in.

Yaoyorozu nodded in agreement with her peer. "Indeed. He may come across as nothing more than a caged beast, but his use of his Quirk suggests a prodigious level of skill – that much is irrefutable."

"So Bakugo's a jerk and uber-talented? I hate it," Denki lamented.

"Now you're getting it," Jomei agreed. At least everyone else in Class 1-A was beginning to see Bakugo for what he was, too. Even if Team A lost – which looked likely – Bakugo wouldn't be fooling anyone into thinking he wasn't a monster anytime soon.

Fortunately, after what was his latest slam back-first into the stone flooring, Midoriya was able to make a break for it away from his tormentor. He may have been running straight for the broken edge of the building, but at least he was making some distance between them.

"He's running away!" Ashido fretted.

"Not really manly, but I mean… you can't blame him. He's completely gunned. Unless he has some sort of plan…" Kirishima mused.

"He was speaking into his earpiece when Bakugo hit him with that blast earlier," Jomei added. "Could be part of one. I wonder what it could be, though?"

Even if Midoriya had created a gap between himself and Bakugo, there was still the fact he'd cornered himself to keep in mind. That said, the resolute, albeit shaky, look on the green-haired boy's face suggested that this might have very well been exactly what he anticipated having to do.

The moment of truth had arrived. Bakugo stalked forward with rage never leaving his expression while he and Midoriya shared a final verbal clash that left them both ionized for one last exchange of blows. On opposite sides of the room, the two teens entered running stances, and rushed towards one another. The orange palms of Bakugo's costume lit up with a quickly-charging explosive attack, while Midoriya's right arm lit up in an array of glittering veins.

A cold chill ran down Akiko's spine. "They're going to kill each other!"

"All Might, do something!" Jomei pleaded.

To Class 1-A's distinct surprise and horror, their teacher hesitated. Midoriya and Bakugo were mere meters away from each other when he finally mustered a response. "Both of you, stop-" He started, only to cut himself after hearing something through his exclusive earpiece.

Uraraka suddenly leaped and hugged one of the support columns near her, and the two polar opposite personalities below completed their ill-fated death charges. Everything else happened nearly at once.

Midoriya's overhead smash turned into an underhanded posture at the last second. His left arm came up to protect him from Bakugo's explosive right hook, and his Quirk-charged punch aimed itself upwards. For a moment, nothing happened, before a sudden rush of sheer force tore straight through every floor separating their fight from…

_'From Uraraka and Iida's room… five floors above them,' _Jomei realized, _'Midoriya, you mad genius…'_

Shrapnel, broken flooring, and gale-force winds broke into the room with the weapon, and the column Uraraka was holding came loose. Her Quirk activated on the object, and suddenly, the bubbly brunette was wielding two metric tons of reinforced concrete like a baseball bat. One swing was all it took to send a hurricane of debris flying Iida's way, and the taller student was forced to brace himself for the barrage.

Uraraka rushed forward, looking somewhat nauseous as she used her Quirk once more on herself, but she quickly crossed the hole in the floor Midoriya's attack created. One release of her Quirk's effects later, and she flew into a full-body hug of the weapon Iida had so valiantly sought to protect. His unrestrained horror and shock was visible even through his helmet.

His opponent slid to the floor, holding back the urge to vomit, and a few floors below, the damage done to Midoriya was made clear. His entire right arm was shattered, bruised, and limp at his side, while his right was burnt where his costume's sleeve was torn apart. He looked utterly wasted in that moment, and a shocked silence filled the observation room as the match timer ticked down to zero.

"You did it…" All Might whispered, "The hero team… WINS!" He triumphantly announced, and on-screen, Midoriya fell to the ground, unconscious. Elsewhere, Iida was rubbing Uraraka's back in a comforting manner as she fought back her nausea.

"Ok, now this is just weird," Denki observed. "Both of the losers are fine, but the winners are completely wrecked."

"How does the saying go?" Tokoyami intoned, "They may have lost the battle, but they most assuredly won the war."

"This class is intense," Tsuyu deadpanned.

All Might quickly excused himself to go see that Midoriya was sent off to Recovery Girl's office, and as the door shut behind him, Jomei couldn't help but stare at the monitor. Bakugo was untouched, but looked like his entire world had been shattered, and yet… something didn't feel right. It could've been the anticlimax that was his frozen-in-place reaction to having lost. Jomei expected Bakugo to throw a fit, not just… stand there. It was unsettling. Beside him, Akiko seemed to pick up on the same thing, but said nothing.

Time would only tell how this defeat would impact Bakugo.

* * *

When All Might returned, the dim lighting of the observation room brightened, and everyone had to squint as their eyes adjusted. The display shifted into a review of everyone's performance in the battle trial that'd just occurred, and the three fit-to-walk members of the trial filed into the room shortly thereafter. Uraraka looked tired, Bakugo was staring at the floor, leaving Iida the only one that conducted himself with any modicum of grace. Even if that grace was impaired by his failure to protect his team's weapon.

All Might stood between the rest of the class and the lineup of participants beside him. "Well, despite the results of the mission, the MVP of this exercise is young Iida!" He declared.

Confused murmurs filled the room, and Iida himself jerked forward in shock. "Shouldn't it be one of the winners?" Tsuyu voiced.

"Hm… valid question! Why _didn't _I choose one of the heroes?" All Might playfully proposed, "Does anyone have a guess?"

Yaoyorozu didn't miss a beat, her hand raising in an instant. "Sir! I can tell you why! Iida is the only one who embraced this challenge and, therefore, his assigned role. I'll explain."

No one noticed All Might's smile turn into a barely-withheld grimace. "Bakugo's judgment was clouded by what appeared to be a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, a large-scale attack such as the one Bakugo used indoors only invites disaster in what should be a battle to minimize the damage of one's hideout. Similarly, Midoriya played an extremely dangerous gambit in incapacitating himself in the hopes of victory – not a smart move. Finally, Uraraka's attack with the ensuing debris and concrete pillar could've easily gone awry, considering the stakes if the warhead was real. Iida strategized, clearing his area of any tools that could be used against him, and never lost sight of the dummy weapon. Even if he was foiled in the end," she surmised.

The entire time she was talking, Iida looked absolutely touched. It would've been funny if it wasn't for how unexpected her tangent was. "Team A may have won, but they took advantage of the fact this wasn't a real combat scenario. They didn't respect the spirit of the trials."

One could've heard a pin drop in the ensuing silence. Everyone knew she was smart, since she was one of the four recommendation students admitted to U.A., but _still_. It couldn't be said that anyone could've expected that level of analysis at the drop of a hat.

All Might scratched the back of his head. "I mean- y-yeah, you missed a couple of things – Iida could've relaxed a little more but… otherwise, you nailed it!" He finished with a thumbs up and an uneasy chuckle.

If Jomei didn't know better, he would've thought All Might was scared of his pupil's intellect.

The educator then cleared his throat, dispelling the awkwardness in favor of turning his attention to the randomizer app on his phone. "Anywho, time to blow this joint! Let's move on to the next match! Think about everything we saw and discussed when going through your own trials."

"Yes, sir!" Class 1-A responded.

All Might smiled, and was about to decide the next match when, apparently, his thumb slipped. He looked confused for a split second before bringing his device down to eye level, at which point he promptly made a noise between choking and a gasp. "W-wait just a moment! We're having uh, technical difficulties here!" He excused.

"He just accidentally hit clear on the randomizer, didn't he?" Akiko deadpanned.

"With fingers as big as his? I'm surprised he can work a phone," Jomei responded with an amused sigh. It was a nice distraction, if nothing else.

As All Might furiously entered a new round of teams into the randomizer while trying to keep his composure, Jomei checked the clock. He was in no hurry to leave, but it couldn't hurt to keep in mind how much time they had left in class when their lesson was as time-sensitive as the battle trials. The blond idly fiddled with his ringed necklace when suddenly, as Akiko looked over at Iida, she suddenly jolted in place.

"You ok there?" Jomei asked idly.

"Yeah, yeah, I just realized something about Iida," Akiko explained.

"And?"

"You know the Iida family? Ingenium is the current big-shot child of the family?" Akiko posed.

"Oh… so you're saying he comes from a family of heroes, huh?" Jomei made an impressed look in Iida's direction. The blue-haired boy was still ramrod straight staring dutifully at a wall. "It'd explain his attitude…"

Akiko followed Jomei's line of sight before they both looked away to avoid being rude. "And it might explain why he's here. To uphold the family legacy, or just be like his big brother," she thought aloud.

Finally, the Symbol of Peace overcame his harshest adversary once again. "Okay! Technical difficulties, over!" He made a chopping motion through the air and pressed the button on his phone with meticulous care this time. "Now I declare match number two will be between…!"

A pause as the device deliberated.

"Team I and Team B! Ojiro, Hagakure, you'll be the dastardly evildoers! Shoji, Todoroki, you'll be the heroes! Now, let's get a move on!" He cheered, promptly bolting through the door and leaving Class 1-A in the dust.

As everyone began to follow behind their instructor towards the next observation room, no one would realize until much later how much of a trendsetter the first battle had been.

"Plus ultra" indeed.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Okie dokie! So, this may be another short one, but! It had to be done. Even if I'm not strictly followin' Midoriya on his journey, some things needed to be said here. Regardless, don't you worry about the other battle trials being spectator sports – it's just that this one, in particular, would just be killer to preface and build up in an orderly manner, not to mention the fact it'd just be a rehash of canon. Besides, it's one of the big moments in the show! So I couldn't **_**entirely **_**omit it… even if I'm probably going to omit quite a few other moments so WFAF doesn't become the 'Canon plus two OC's' show, lol.**

**And yes, All Might is a total grandpa with technology. He's over like, what, 50? I like to think grandpa syndrome exists no matter how far in the future a setting gets. And beyond **_**that**_**, I wanna apologize for the delay for this chapter. Life can be pretty hecking busy and sour circumstances sometimes arise, but hopefully the next few chapters detailing this lil' arc will roll out smoothly! Hopefully. At least I'm still determined to keep this project going – albeit not as quickly updating as I'd imagined. Maybe monthly?**

_**Overall Teams Standings: **_**  
****A:**** Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco – **_**Battle 1 Winners**_**  
****B:**** Shoji Mezo & Todoroki Shoto  
****C:**** Mineta Minoru & Yaoyorozu Momo  
****D:**** Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya – **_**Battle 1 Losers**_**  
****E:**** Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga  
****F:**** Koda Koji & Sato Rikido  
****G:**** Jiro Kyoka & Kaminari Denki  
****H:**** Asui Tsuyu & Tokoyami Fumikage  
****I:**** Ojiro Mashirao & Hagakure Toru  
****J:**** Sero Hanta & Kirishima Eijiro  
****K:**** Nishimura Jomei & Takara Akiko**


	7. Battle Trials, Part 2

Mashirao Ojiro was not what many people would call 'eccentric' from what little time Class 1-A had spent together. He conducted himself with formality and informality where appropriate, with an underlying respect for others in his every interaction. He didn't crave fame nor fortune, but rather, the betterment of himself through hero work and training his – admittedly underwhelming at times – Quirk. It was through this very standard method of conducting himself that Ojiro was rapidly climbing the charts of Class 1-A's rankings as their resident 'King of Normal.'

And honestly? He wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a title worthy of pity, given how intense personalities were more common among his peers than any other.

Despite his informal title, however, there were still times that Tail enabled him to shine or stand out among a crowd. Such was the perk of having an added appendage with more muscle and girth than some of his classmates' torsos. That said, at U.A., there were more unusual mutations to look at than his tail – not that he was complaining about the lack of attention. If anything, he welcomed it. It gave him more time to think, to train, and, in the case of the battle trial he found himself in, to prepare for a fight against his peers.

The fact that he couldn't see what the underground spectators were thinking certainly did help in this respect. While he wasn't shy by any stretch of the imagination, there was certainly a sheepish, soft-hearted side of him that always overshadowed his nobility when it came to being seen as forgettable – or worse, overwhelmingly average. Without being able to see what others thought of him, focusing on the task at hand came that much more easily.

At present, given their five minutes of prep time, the task at hand was formulating a plan and making sure his costume was in order – not that his costume was that complex, to begin with. It consisted of a simple karate gi, black belt, boots, and some nice yellow fur lining around the left side of his collar. That last addition was 'to avoid being pitifully plain,' in his costume designer's words, and Ojiro genuinely wondered if the lump of fur only made him look worse. Honestly, from some angles, it looked like a ferret had just fallen asleep on his shoulder and he couldn't be bothered to brush the thing off.

Ojiro shook his head. There was no time for contemplating the pitfalls of his inability to come up with an interesting costume concept now.

"Hey, Ojiro!" Hagakure called out, grabbing his attention.

"Huh? What is it?" He replied.

The invisible girl began pulling off her gloves. "Let's get serious! I'll take off all my clothes and _totally _disappear!" She stated with confidence.

It occurred to him what 'all her clothes' were, at this point. Baby blue gloves with pink lines on the backs of the hands… and light brownish-grey lace-up shoes.

And nothing else.

Ever honorable, Ojiro responded with an only slightly nervous nod. "Right," he passively agreed.

Averting what he assumed was Hagakure's gaze, the short-haired blond began scratching the side of his face. _'Hagakure's using her Quirk to our advantage, sure, but it's kind of weird to know that there's a naked girl standing by me… what exactly am I supposed to do here?'_

Evidently, the absurdity of now being in _truly _nothing but her birthday suit struck his teammate at the same time, and she held her discarded costume close. "Uhh, just don't look, ok?" She replied nervously.

_'Ok, so now she decides to be bashful…?'_

He couldn't stop his genuinely confused response in time. "Wait, what's the difference? You know what, just… just go over there and hide," he instructed, pointing at the only entrance into their warhead's room.

"They'll probably be expecting you to be out in the halls for surveillance, so staying there ready to attack whoever comes in first and capture them by surprise is probably our best strategy," he explained further. The logic checked out, so far as he was aware.

"Right!" The floating earpiece silently padded over to where he pointed and lowered itself to the ground. "Like this?" Hagakure asked. Presumably, she'd entered some kind of combat-ready pose – not that anyone would be able to tell.

She could be doing the splits for all he knew, and he'd just have to nod along.

"Yeah, sure. Just stay ready with your capture tape – we'll probably only have one shot at this."

Hagakure's earpiece rose and fell slightly in what he assumed was a nod. "Already ahead of you!" She affirmed, her invisible hand conjuring her strip of tape out of what was presumably her closed fist.

The martial artist let out a sigh and returned to his stretches. It wasn't a fancy plan, but it was the best one he could come up with. Now all that was left to do was wait for the battle trial to begin and give it his all.

Plus ultra.

* * *

Beneath Battle Building B – the twin of the first building that was decimated a few minutes prior – All Might began thinking of starting things up ahead of schedule. There may have been three minutes left until the match was set to start, but for all intents and purposes, both teams appeared to be ready to go. Team I was standing around, having likely concluded their planning for the battle ahead, and Team B… well, they hadn't done much of anything. For the past two minutes, they'd both sat cross-armed and silent, studying the layout of the building before them with their blueprints and not sharing a single word between them.

At least it didn't appear to be a disconcerting silence. In the short time he'd devoted his attention to the six-armed student and his heterochromatic partner, both of them just came across as soft-spoken people. Todoroki was a recommendation student, however, and that put him at a higher standard than the rest of his peers. All Might had hoped that he'd at least discuss _some _form of strategy with his teammate before time ran out, but so far, there'd been no such luck.

_'Young Todoroki… son of Endeavor or not, now is not the time to be giving your teammate the cold shoulder!' _He thought to himself.

As a teacher, one of All Might's jobs was to counsel his students where appropriate, so that they would improve both with their Quirks and as people. Todoroki's actions thus far, despite the glowing test scores that got him admitted into U.A., only worried the seasoned pro that he would turn into his father. A cold, calculating hero with no regard for the warmth, hospitality, or charisma that the Symbol of Peace epitomized within the sphere of the job he was training for. He wouldn't make any rash decisions yet concerning the young prodigy, but nor was he going to ignore what was a blatantly obvious indication of some deeper issues.

Come to think of it, perhaps it could've had something to do with his father. The user of Hellflame wasn't by any stretch of the imagination someone who could be called 'a family man,' and perhaps that reflected on his son's state of being. All Might wouldn't put it past his one-sided rival to press his hopes of surpassing him onto his son – not when Todoroki possessed such a powerful Quirk as his registration form suggested he did.

_'Endeavor… what have you done to this boy? Is this some attempt to surpass me through your own offspring?'_

Endeavor had never quite understood empathy and compassion – his brutal efficiency and flagrant disregard for niceties were selling points to his fans, this much was well-known. So to think he'd raised the young boy on screen only to overcome him… it sent a chill down the hero's spine.

The Hellflame user would never understand what it meant to be the Symbol of Peace. He'd never understand the personal life it forced the man behind All Might's smile – Toshinori Yagi – to sacrifice. He'd never understand the physical cost, either.

The hole on the left side of All Might's abdomen testified to that much.

One covered-up battle with the centuries-old enemy of heroism, All for One, and suddenly the nonstop hero duty All Might had been accustomed to was taken away. He'd sacrificed a normal life to be the single entity that would ensure peace and comfort in a crisis, and suddenly, he'd lost a stomach, his health, and his ability to constantly maintain his heroic stature. Now he was limited to being a hero for three hours a day before he needed to rest, and he'd shrivel into a shadow of the man that was idolized on TV.

The Pro Hero stifled a bloody cough through sheer force of will. He still had a class to teach, and a new generation of heroes to inspire.

One of which, to his left, looked like she was torn between embarrassment and indignity as she looked at the floating earpiece that was Hagakure at the moment.

"Is it just me or is it bizarre that someone designed a costume _for a 15-year-old _that's literally gloves and shoes and _nothing else?_" Takara whispered to her partner on Team K.

"I've… been trying not to think about it," Nishimura sighed nervously. Clearly, the implications of what his peer's costume meant for whoever she was fighting with – or against – weren't lost on him.

"Ojiro is either the luckiest or unluckiest guy at U.A. right now," Kaminari added, crossing his arms contemplatively.

"I'd say luckiest…" Mineta whispered to himself.

_'Man,_' All Might thought to himself as he overheard the exchange, _'Kids are weird these days!'_

* * *

Shoto Todoroki was brooding, as he often did when he was displeased. With his father, with his performance in training, or in this case, the entire situation he found himself in. It was trivial, a foregone conclusion, the battle trial ahead. A recommendation student and a giant whose six shredded arms could duplicate organs against a team whose Quirks were a tail and the ability to be invisible. They weren't on the same level, anyone could see that, and yet here he found himself. Waiting around for the reason for his 'creation,' as his father had put it, to announce the fight's start.

All that said, U.A. had its method of doing things, and if it deemed this exercise was one that was needed to train its next generation of heroes, Todoroki would submit himself to it. With this in mind, he wasn't going to underestimate his opponents. Benign and inflexible their Quirks were, that didn't mean they were foolish. They'd made it through the entrance exams and Aizawa's test, so they had to be at least half-competent to be at U.A.

Todoroki pinched the bridge of his nose in boredom and looked over his costume one more time. His original idea of a simple white outfit that allowed him to hide his left side in ice was rejected by his costume designer, much to his chagrin. He wanted to distance himself as much as possible from his father by hiding his influence on him, but he was content with what his costume ended up looking like. It may not have covered the crimson left portion of his hair, his turquoise eye, or the burn scar that ran from his hairline to around his cheek, but it did its job well. It even accentuated the presence of his mother's white hair and gray eye on his right side by some miracle, so even he had to admit the revisions were welcome.

A dark blue, high collar, and elbow-length jacket was perhaps the most important and noticeable part of the costume. It regulated his body's temperature, and the metal-plated combat vest on top of it only added a layer of protection that his original costume design wouldn't have accommodated for. Beneath that was his brown utility belt, replete with capsules of emergency medical supplies that Todoroki was surprised no one else considered a basic necessity. Down further still was a matching dark blue pair of combat pants, eventually breaking the dark color scheme by tucking themselves into his white boots.

It was effective, utilitarian, and it _worked_. And that was all that mattered out of a hero costume in his eyes.

His partner's costume was much the same, come to think of it.

Shoji's may not have needed any specific accommodations to 'enhance' a mutation-type Quirk like his, but it stayed out of the way, and that was what counted for someone with six arms. A tight blue tank top with six white markings resembling eyes dotted his torso, covering his chest in the same way his indigo-colored mask covered his elongated head. His belt also possessed a yellow eye shape embedded in the center, securing his baggy blue trousers before they transitioned into indigo boots.

Again, it wasn't flashy, but it was effective. If Todoroki was the type to compliment, he would've applauded his teammate for his minimalist costume design. That, and his whole 'gentle genetic aberration' deal he had going for him.

Even in a society full of mutation-type Quirks, Shoji's was certainly one of the more bizarre ones out there. His normal arms ended in hands, but the additional four that made use of his Dupli-Arms Quirk were far more unusual. They were tentacle-like in flexibility, ended in odd, pod-like stumps, and were bound together by a fleshy webbing that looked and _sounded _unsettling when it stretched. The fact he was already a towering 187 centimeters tall only compounded the fact his Quirk made it nigh-on impossible to make a positive first impression from appearances alone.

That said, there were far worse potential partners in Class 1-A than Shoji, even if the gentle giant was being rather quiet.

"You surprise me, Shoji. We've been standing here for three minutes now and you haven't said a word. Why is that?" He asked plainly.

One of the pods on his arms squelched as it turned into a mouth. Why he felt the need to speak through his Quirk and not his actual mouth sometimes was a mystery.

"I was under the impression that you are a driven individual, proud of your status as a recommendation student. Given that, I assumed that your silence was your way of premeditating the battle ahead." Shoji answered, glancing between the building plans and his teammate.

Todoroki nodded. "You're perceptive. I was planning on excluding you from the battle plan I've made, but I suppose your Quirk could be useful for reconnaissance. It'd be a shame if I robbed you of all participation in the trial."

A few moments ago, he wouldn't have cared one way or the other what his partner did so long as he didn't get in the way, but now? Shoji's courteous nature may have just won him a spot as someone worthy of respect in Todoroki's book.

Shoji nodded and spoke through his mask. "I can use my Dupli-Arms to locate Team I more effectively, should you think that wouldn't impede your plan – whatever it may be."

"It shouldn't be," Todoroki began, "Now all that's left is to wait for-"

"Team I, Team B, get ready to rumble because your time starts now!" All Might commanded.

The two quiet teammates shared a look and made their way into the building. Shoji entered first, stopping to turn his Dupli-Arms' four pods into additional ears that twitched and reoriented themselves as he waited and listened.

"They're both on the fourth floor. The northernmost room – most likely where the weapon's been stored. Their exact locations are proving hard to pin down. They're being careful to make as little noise as possible." Shoji informed.

"Noted, but we have nothing to worry about," Todoroki stated, icy mist frothing from his right hand, "Because we've already won."

One touch onto the wall and a tap to the floor with his foot was all it took. The locations he contacted froze instantly, and soon, ice spread throughout Battle Building B like a plague. Nothing had ever escaped this attack before, so by all accounts, he knew Team I would likely already be incapacitated by now.

The match had only just begun, and all that was left was securing the weapon.

"Stick close. Even if my Quirk, Half-Cold Half-Hot, will keep the ice melting so you won't slip, that doesn't mean you can go on ahead," Todoroki forewarned.

A silent nod was all the response he needed. Shoji turned his additional ears back into stumps and stuck to Todoroki's left side. It began radiating heat, melting the ice on the floor that his right side had generated mere moments before. Even still, everything else remained frozen – the amount of control Todoroki exhibited in doing so couldn't be understated.

They made their way to the fourth floor in record time, not a single word exchanged between them. There was no need.

It was like Todoroki had said – they'd already won.

As such, neither member of Team I thought anything was amiss when they reached the door leading into the villains' storeroom. There'd been no resistance thus far, and after a shared look assuring that they'd be prepared for whatever they found inside, Todoroki thawed the door and opened it.

To their surprise, Ojiro wasn't frozen. He was standing shakily on the ice, but he was still free.

Todoroki still wasn't concerned, but there was a question that warranted asking.

"Hm. I must say I'm curious, Ojiro. How did you avoid my freezing technique?" Todoroki asked, Shoji ducking into the room to his left.

The tailed fighter rolled his shoulders and raised his fists in a martial artist's stance. "I saw the ice coming – my tail isn't just for show. All it took was me jumping over the freeze and regaining my balance without alerting you that I was still standing."

A ghost of a smile struck Todoroki's lips. Simple, yet effective. He would've chided himself for the oversight if victory wasn't an inevitability.

"Well done, but you're still outnumbered, Ojiro. You should surrender and reveal where your teammate is hiding – it'll be less painful for everyone involved this way." Todoroki negotiated.

To Team I's surprise, Ojiro smiled. "The only thing I'm going to do is even the playing field."

Shoji and Todoroki entered combat-ready poses, braced for whatever the martial artist tried, but his smile only grew more confident. "Hagakure, now!"

"N-now I've g-got you!" Hagakure chattered.

To the left of the gentle giant, a hovering speck in the air conjured a white strip of tape. It lurched for Shoji's leg, and before he could react, fastened the villains' capturing device around his leg. Shoji was taken out of the match in an instant.

But two could play at that game.

The two frozen footprints beside Shoji told Todoroki all he needed to know of the villains' location. Ojiro may have escaped his freeze, but his teammate wasn't so fortunate. Rooted in place already by her feet already, Todoroki shifted his foot, and the invisible girl was frozen further, up to her waist. He would've encased her in ice entirely, but he only wanted to incapacitate Hagakure, not give her hypothermia.

"O-ow ow ow ow! C-c-cold cold cold!" Hagakure chittered.

Todoroki then turned back to Ojiro, who still stood ready for action, but looked slightly more unsure than before. Hagakure and Shoji could only watch.

"I'll admit, Ojiro, that was a smart plan. But you're still going to lose," he said.

Ojiro shrugged. "That may be so, but I'm just fine with that. I won't go down without a fight!"

In a whirlwind of motion, the tailed fighter slammed his added appendage on the ground, shattering the layer of ice and sending him flying forwards. He spun mid-air, leading with his Quirk for a spinning strike that would almost certainly knock Todoroki out cold if it connected.

The recommendation student sidestepped the attack, and with equal speed, reached out confidently with his right hand. Time seemed to slow for a fleeting few moments, and the next thing Ojiro knew, he was neck-deep buried in ice.

Much like the rest of the right side of the room, which looked like it'd gained a snug few metric tons of glacier inside of it in the past two seconds.

"O-k-kay then," Ojiro deflated, bowing his head, "I should've s-seen that coming."

A ghost of a smile made its way onto Todoroki's face as he walked towards the untouched weapon. "It isn't your fault. We're just playing on different levels."

He secured the objective of his mission. "Checkmate."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the observation room, most of Class 1-A was freezing. What genius decided to design Training Ground Beta to have multiple observation rooms instead of one localized one, no one had the slightest clue. What they did know, however, is that the temperature inside had dropped so far that the room could've been used as a meat locker, at this point.

"P-pay close attention, class! He incapacitated both opponents without compromising the weapon!" All Might shivered, "T-the hero team wins! N-now would you mind thawing everyone out?"

On screen, Todoroki did just that. He pressed his left hand onto the weapon, and suddenly, the freezer formerly known as Battle Center B began to warm up at a record pace. No one in the observation room complained when the temperature change hit them soon after.

"Jeez, he's so strong! It's kind of intimidating…" Kaminari awed.

"And his control is incredible…" Takara whispered.

"Ditto," Nishimura concurred.

"He's a recommendation student, so he must be good," Tsuyu added.

As All Might began mobilizing Class 1-A for the upcoming review of the second battle trial, no one noticed the look of terrified realization that painted a certain explosive-tempered student's face from then on. Suddenly, someone wasn't the top dog anymore.

Suddenly, reality hit him like a truck.

* * *

Kyoka couldn't say that she was surprised by the result of battle two. Anyone could've seen from a mile away that having a recommendation student on your team would put whoever opposed them at a disadvantage. Thus, when Team B completely trounced Team I with only minor difficulties, while Denki was piping up a storm about how scary Todoroki was, Kyoka was left in her normal state of being – unenthused.

This lack of enthusiasm continued throughout the MVP ceremony. It was a foregone conclusion that Todoroki would win the title for his battle. After all, even if Ojiro had strategized well, flinging himself towards someone who had just exhibited the ability to freeze people nigh-on instantly wasn't exactly the best thing he could've done towards the end of his fight. Kyoka wasn't what could be called a genius, but she was no fool either. So if _she _could see the result of the ceremony coming a mile away, she wondered why so many of her classmates looked even partially surprised.

Luckily – or unluckily, considering who she was up against – her boredom would quickly be remedied. As All Might used his newfound mastery over pushing a button to decide the next match, Team C was put up against Team G.

Kyoka had sighed in relief that she'd finally get to _do _something, but Denki's reaction left much to be desired. The lightning Quirk user was an alright person, really. He had his moments where he came across as cool, or even smart, as well as moments of boyish fawning over women, but it never went to the point of overt ogling. He had that over Mineta, at least.

That said, that didn't mean she was ok with him acting so lax about the match ahead when they found out their opponents. One could safely assume Mineta would be more occupied being a pervert than a useful teammate, sure, but Yaoyorozu had proven her genius shouldn't be underestimated. Denki's lax attitude would only serve to undo whatever advantage their fledgling friendship gave them against the villain team, and it had visibly irked her before they left the observation room.

Luckily, Team G had friends to reel their reactions in.

When the two members of Team K had noticed their friends' attitudes, before they were sent to their battle building, Jomei pulled Denki aside, and Akiko found Kyoka. Akiko had managed to at least get her to clamp down on her irritation, and even convinced her that she stood a chance when she expressed her worry about facing a recommendation student. It was welcome encouragement, and although the Earphone Jack user may not have overheard what Jomei and Denki had discussed, it was clear her partner was in a frame of mind to take the upcoming battle _far _more seriously.

"Alright! Show us what it means to be the embodiment of good, or, I mean, evil! Let's go!" All Might declared, striking Kyoka out of her inner musings.

The horn signaling the battle trial's start sounded, and the punk rock girl turned towards her teammate. "You ready?" She asked.

Denki responded with a thumbs up and a smile. She had to admit, the look on his face would've been almost cute if it wasn't attached to such a dunderhead.

Instead, she rolled her eyes in response, and Team G made their way into the office building that served as the villains' base of operations. Five floors, filled with cubicles, break rooms, and a penthouse office suite that they needed to search in fifteen minutes.

The odds weren't in their favor on so many levels, but that hadn't stopped real heroes before.

Periodically, Kyoka stopped to jab her earphone jacks into the walls. Concrete cracked like glass wherever she'd puncture, and the sounds of even the flowing of water and scurrying mice weren't hidden to the fledgling hero. She repeated the process until they reached the stairwell leading to the second floor – the villains weren't anywhere on the first, to be certain. Considering the range of her Quirk's hearing amplification, it was likely they were either on the fourth or fifth floors, but only investigating further would tell her specifics.

"Denki?" She asked, stopping halfway up to the second floor.

"Yeah?" He responded as he came up beside her.

"I… probably should've asked you about this before, but promise me you'll at least _try _not to go stupid?" Kyoka asked, resuming her ascent.

Denki paused, a look of confusion scrunching his features for a moment. "Uh, yeah, sure! I swear I'll try not to overdo it with my Quirk," he promised with theatrical gusto, "But where's this coming from?"

The pair finished their climb. "It's just that I don't think it'd help us out against the villains if you end up being useless, you know?" She reasoned, jabbing an earphone jack into the wall.

The yellow-eyed blond pursed his lips. The logic checked out, and the last thing he wanted to do was screw up their battle trial with everyone watching. Now all that he had to do, for now, was shut up and let Kyoka listen for-

"Wait, I think I've got something," Kyoka started, leaning in closer to the wall, "I think they're in… the middle of the fourth floor. Big, closed-in office. Only one door."

_Thud._

"Whatever they're doing, something heavy's moving around, or being dropped, or _something,_" She elaborated.

_Thud._ A feminine voice forming words her earphone jacks couldn't quite make out.

"Are they saying anything?" Denki asked, looking around as if one of the villains were about to attack them two floors away.

Kyoka shook her head and removed her added appendage from the wall. "Can't tell – they're too far away, and I don't know if stopping and hoping that they'll reveal something vital is the best use of our time. Let's move fast, but try not to make too much noise," she instructed.

A nod in agreement was all the response she needed.

They made their way up towards the fourth floor, careful not to let their footsteps echo through the stairwell. Eventually, they reached the fourth floor. A long corridor led to a single door at the end, inconspicuous to outside observers, but certainly the location of the villains' weapon if Kyoka's scouting skills were to be believed.

Team G silently positioned themselves on either side of the door and shared a thumbs-up to make sure they were both ready to breach. With limited time, waiting and listening for vital info when they couldn't hear a single word _right outside _the door would just be a waste.

Denki turned the doorknob, twisted his feet, and with one massive heave… the door didn't budge an inch. The hinges could be heard rattling in place, but the hero pair was still firmly locked out of the only entrance to the room.

His teammate waved him out of the way, equally confused looks on both of their faces. Next, Kyoka gave the door a go, but still no luck. She narrowed her eyes at the mysteriously locked object and took a few steps back.

"You might want to get behind me," Kyoka warned.

Her partner's eyes widened, and he quickly took position. "So, uh… what're you doing?"

"What I'm doing is busting down the door. Neither of us could break through, so it was probably barricaded," she reasoned, her appendages extending downward to her stereo boots, "And I'm going to deal with that. The moment it's down, we go back to either side of the door in case they want to ambush us. Wait until the dust settles, and we go from there. Sound good?" She asked.

As her earphone jacks connected to the ports of her boots, Denki gave an incredulous shrug. "I mean… yeah, sounds good! I could've come up with something too but-"

The punk rocker's boots suddenly ejected an ear-piercing barrage of pulses, masking the blond's girlish cry of shock. The waves grew larger with distance and warped the air around them with their intensity, shredding the wooden door in moments to reveal the steel barricade that kept the heroes out. Soon after that, even the barricade began to rattle and come undone, and the steel bars that comprised the security measure fell into an unglorified pile on the floor.

Team G didn't waste a moment and rushed through the dusty smokescreen whipped up by the attack to hide behind either side of the door. They may have lost the element of surprise, but that didn't mean they were going to give away their exact positions.

_'Hopefully I don't have to use Heartbeat Fuzz again. It's a rockin' attack, but dammit if it doesn't make my heart wanna pop the longer it goes on.' _She thought. It was an exhausting attack when used extensively – her body would grow into it, but now was not then.

To the team's surprise, no sound was heard from inside the room as the dust settled. Denki gave his partner a nonplussed look, and peeked inside…

Only to be met with a cannonball being fired at him by a _very_ determined Yaoyorozu.

The lightning wielder let out a shrill shriek as he ducked back into cover, eyes snapping between the villain and the object that nearly snapped his ribs like a twig. It bounced where it hit the ground before rolling to a stop.

"Rubber cannonballs – they won't kill you, but they _will _stop you from acquiring the weapon," Yaoyorozu reassured.

Somehow Denki felt like he'd rather be matched against Todoroki right about now.

"Where the hell did you guys get a freaking cannon?!" Denki yelled. He tried to get another peek into the room, but Yaoyorozu had already loaded the cannon again. The electricity user had to duck once more.

That said, he did notice two things. One, Yaoyorozu looked like she'd just ran a marathon, which in of itself was confusing, and two – Mineta was lounging on top of the mysterious pile of rubber cannonballs right behind her.

Denki would've been jealous of the view he had if he wasn't busy trying to keep his bones from shattering.

"I see your talents don't lie in observation, Kaminari," Yaoyorozu said as she reloaded her instrument of war, "Then allow me to inform you of something. My Quirk is Creation, and all you need to know is that, though exhausting, I've been preparing enough ammo to hold you off for as long as necessary. I figured the barricade would slow you down, but it's always best to be prepared."

"Besides," Mineta added condescendingly, "with Pop Off, you might as well give up! One hit with one of my balls and you'll be a sitting duck for us to capture you… seriously, you guys are kind of done for…"

Now _that _struck a chord with Denki. "Ok, listen here you short-!"

"Denki!" Kyoka ordered, cutting off her partner's impending tirade.

The blond growled but ducked back into cover just in time to avoid another cannon shot from Yaoyorozu.

"What? I'm sorry but come on, Mineta's-" Denki started.

"Focus! Calm down, and focus," Kyoka seethed, "I know, but they're just trying put us off-balance. Getting pissed is just going to get one of our faces smashed in."

Denki pursed his lips and made himself smaller, kneeling at the same time Kyoka did to minimize their profile. "Right. So, what's the plan, boss? Rubber isn't exactly the best conductor of electricity, so turning their ammo into one big taser isn't an option," he explained.

"It doesn't have to be," Kyoka countered, "All you have to do is – and I can't believe I'm saying this – be 'cool.'"

"What?"

"I need a distraction. You keep their attention on you and draw Yaoyorozu's fire. I'll go around and bust another way in, and you charge on my signal."

"Wait, what'll be the signal?" Denki asked.

Kyoka quickly rose to her feet. "You'll know."

"And… what do I do when you bust in? I feel like there are a few gaps in this plan," Denki said uncertainly.

"Do whatever it takes to either get the weapon or take down Mineta or Yaoyorozu without frying _me _in the process. Deal?" Kyoka offered.

Her male acquaintance gave a nod. "I mean, I haven't got any other plans, so let's do it!"

Kyoka returned the gesture and turned on her heel before rushing down the halls surrounding the villains' hideout. Periodic, dull _thuds _were heard as cannon fire continued to rain towards the hallway she'd left Denki at, fading into obscurity before bleeding back into audibility as she reached the corner just to the right of the villains. If she'd had more time to think, she may have busted in right behind the villain pair, but the clock was ticking. Either way, she'd be making a mad dash to try and secure the weapon before Team C knew what was happening.

Earphone jacks met stereo boots once again, and the punk rocker braced herself for another round of Heartbeat Fuzz. Fortunately, the brick wall shattered quickly, and Kyoka wasted no time rushing through the dusty screen her attack had whipped up – grabbing a pipe along the way for good measure.

As she emerged from the smokescreen, Mineta hesitated. He had a precious few moments to stick Kyoka as she made her dead charge, but he was paralyzed in surprise. Kyoka nearly thought she'd be able to reach the weapon and end it all right there.

And then a steel quarterstaff sent her flying back towards the wall she'd just destroyed.

"Clever," Yaoyorozu stated, a pink glow generating the rest of the weapon out of her arm, "Circumventing your opponent's artillery when you know you're outgunned is a good plan, but unfortunately, I'm more than confident in my hand-to-hand combat skills as well."

As Yaoyorozu twirled her staff and struck a combat-ready pose, Kyoka rose to her feet and brandished her own makeshift weapon. "Yeah? Well, so am I!" She shouted, charging at her opponent.

The armed pair of fighters began trading blows then, appearing evenly matched in their impromptu melee. Denki, meanwhile, saw his own opportunity to shine. With Yaoyorozu focused on fighting Kyoka, the weapon was left wide open for the heroes' capture.

_'Jackpot!'_ The blond thought to himself. He surged into the room, dashing towards the objective of the trial–

Only to be cut off by one diminutive deviant.

"Stop right there, hot shot!" Mineta ordered, shadows over his eyes as he held two balls in his hands, "Yaoyorozu's MINE, you hear that!?"

Of course he would think Denki was making a charge for the buxom brunette.

_'Dude, she's hot, but there's a time and a place…'_

"Alright, listen up Mineta. I'm not going for Yaoyorozu, but if you're here to stop me from getting the weapon…" Denki brandished electric fingers with a sinister grin, "You've got another thing coming!"

And so began the _real _battle between the two teams.

* * *

On screen, it was clear that whatever Denki had said or done had set Mineta off. The lecherous student may have been a condescending jerk sometimes, but the sheer fury he exhibited now was unlike anything Class 1-A had seen in him before. Though that wasn't saying much, given how easy he was to miss walking around.

Mere moments after whatever was said in their exchange, Mineta had begun to throw an unending barrage of sticky purple balls off his scalp at the electricity user. Denki was forced to dive for cover behind a nearby support column, but the torrent only slowed a small amount. Elsewhere, Kyoka and Yaoyorozu were swinging, blocking, and parrying up a storm, to the degree that everyone in Class 1-A had to wonder if they'd stumbled across two students that'd actually trained with weapons in the past. Considering the diverse range of training styles would-be heroes employed, it wasn't unlikely.

"You know, that attack from Mineta would be awesome if it weren't for the fact he looks so dumb," Jomei cited with a smirk.

"I hate to say it… but I can see what you mean," Akiko conceded.

Jomei may not have considered himself well-versed in the world of fashion, but he knew he had a point. Mineta's costume was almost hilariously underwhelming. A purple shirt and mask over the Mohawk of balls that comprised his hair, oversized yellow gloves and boots, and white pants that easily could've been mistaken as a _diaper_ didn't quite scream 'hero material,' after all.

That said, at least looking like he was wearing a bad Halloween costume didn't impair his ability to become surprisingly effective on a moment's notice.

"Aren't you worried that they'll lose because they're running out of time? They only have eight minutes left…" Akiko fretted.

Jomei's lips scrunched up into his cheek in thought. "Eh. I don't think so."

"Why's that? Yaoyorozu seems even against Kyoka, and Denki's pinned down," Akiko posed.

"True, but I look at it this way – it's not a matter of if everyone's going to keep doing the same thing until time runs out, but rather, who's going to screw up first."

"So, you think the match is going to be decided by who makes the first big mistake…?" Akiko echoed, eyes narrowing as she entertained the reasoning, "But who would be so careless in the middle of their first match?"

"I can tell ya who," Kirishima chimed in, gesturing his spiky red hair towards the screen. Mineta's ceaseless assault had finally ended, and now he was swaggering towards where Denki was hiding.

"The guy who does the least manly thing of all – getting cocky."

* * *

_'How the hell are these balls so sticky!?'_

Denki was pinned. He may have avoided the worst of the assault – unlike the poor ball-covered wall opposite him – but he didn't escape all of it. A single sticky ball had managed to strike him on the back of his hand, and now he was left desperately trying to avoid anything that would seal his fate by rendering him immobile. He'd try prying the thing off, but since flailing his wrist around did nothing to dislodge the object, Denki quickly surmised trying to pull it off would only put him in an arm-sized Chinese finger trap.

That or it'd rip off his skin. And he was very fond of that part of him where it was, at the moment.

"You know… what'd I say Kaminari…?" Mineta swaggered, "Pop Off would destroy your team! And now look at you now! Hiding, waiting for me to finish you off… it's kind of sad, really. I thought you were supposed to be the cool guy…"

Denki made a silent screaming expression. No. He'd keep his cool – jumping out into Mineta's line of sight would just get him stuck a dozen times over in a hurry. That said, he had to do something, _anything_ to help Kyoka and try to turn this situation around.

His Quirk was out of the question. Electrification didn't discriminate on who it shocked, and if he was going to try to incapacitate Mineta with it, he'd be amping it up so far that Yaoyorozu and Kyoka could be caught in the crossfire. Even if he did take everyone out, the risk of going dumb was too great to execute that kind of area of effect attack.

Besides, he had a promise to keep to Kyoka. She was nice, underneath all the teasing.

He hoped.

The blond took another look at his hand. Mineta was still ranting and taking his time coming towards his foe, and Denki wanted nothing more than to punch him, but-

_'Wait… fight smarter, not harder, Denki…'_

He smirked and rounded the corner of the column he was hiding behind. What he did next was either going to be really stupid or really effective and cathartic where Mineta was concerned.

"Don't even wanna talk back… huh?" Mineta expressed as he reached Denki's former hiding spot. He walked around the column, and turned around another corner…

Only to meet a brutal, sticky backhand from his hero target.

"HA!" Denki triumphantly shouted, "If I can't use _my _Quirk, I'll turn your own against you!"

The attack landed on Mineta's mask. He was aiming for his face, but it got the job done regardless. His hand and Mineta were stuck together, and if the villain wanted to be of any use, he'd have to drag Denki along with him.

The shorter member of Team C struggled and tried fighting back, but Denki simply lifted him up in the air like an unruly toddler. "H-how'd you know that only my gloves don't get stuck by my Quirk?"

That explained a few things. "I didn't – just really wanted to wipe that smug look off your face, and honestly? It looks like it's worked!"

Mineta growled. "N-no it didn't! I'm not out of this yet!"

He grabbed ahold of his foe's arm and threw his weight around the appendage, sending the intertwined pair tumbling onto the floor. The ensuing mess of Mineta's sticky 'hair' and rolling bodies was _not _going to turn out pretty for either of them.

"Yaoyorozu's knockers will be _mine_!" Mineta declared.

* * *

_'That's one way to do it, Denki…'_ Jomei thought.

"I'll admit, I didn't see that coming, but… you can't deny how good it was at taking Mineta out of the picture," Jomei voiced.

"It _is _rather unconventional, but given Kaminari's seeming hesitance to use his Quirk, it's as good a strategy as any." Iida concurred, "Takara, why might that be?"

Akiko scratched the back of her head. "Well, you see, Denki's Quirk has a kinda heavy drawback considering he's training to be a pro – like me, really. I'd tell you more, but I figure that asking Denki himself on your own time would be more respectful to his privacy."

"A fair suggestion, and one I don't fault you for. But would you mind my inquiry into the nature of your own 'drawback?' I must confess, you have me curious," Iida respectfully added.

"Oh, uh, sure! Long story short, my Quirk lets me use a bunch of different gemstone modes for different effects, right?" Akiko prefaced.

"Yes, I believe I observed your eyes, hair, and crystalline chest piece all turning a yellow of sorts the other day – you were manipulating the air, as I recall."

Uraraka turned and joined the conversation. "Oh yeah, that was pretty cool…"

Akiko nodded. "Mhm, that's peridot mode. The big drawback of my Quirk is that, even if it's super flexible in combat, if I strain my body too much by overindulging…" She pursed her lips, "Even though it can heal pretty quick… my crystal core can break and using my Quirk any more becomes _really_ risky."

Iida was speechless, but Uraraka picked up the slack with a sincere expression. "Oh… I'm sorry! That must be a real bummer – all that happens if I go over my Quirk's weight limit is getting nauseous. I can't imagine what it feels like…"

Akiko scratched the back of her neck, unsure of what to make of the pity. Luckily, Jomei jumped into the conversation, hooking an arm around his companion's shoulders. "Eh, if you ask me, it doesn't really matter. Akiko's awesome either way!"

Uraraka nodded, suddenly dropping the somber mood in favor of pumping an energetic fist in the air. "Yeah! Who cares about some dumb limits! We're here to become heroes, and nothing's gonna stop us!" She cheered with unexpected fire.

Iida snapped out of his daze and made his best attempt at a fist pump. "Indeed! Any of our shortcomings will be overcome in our time here! It's to be expected from us, the best of our generation here at U.A!"

Despite the sideways glances their group received from the sudden outbursts, the purple-haired girl smiled warmly and let out a small chuckle. It was good to have a circle of companions to fall back on, even if they were rather quirky, and Jomei's presence always helped keep things lax.

Class 1-A really was the best of the best.

* * *

_'Man, you really couldn't think of anything else, huh?'_

Kyoka was… tense. She wasn't angry, since she understood Denki couldn't use his Quirk without risking shocking her, and she wasn't scared, because that was _not _a good look on her. What she was, however, was trying to figure out how much more time Team G had left before they'd lose by time out.

Neither side had gained much ground, and Yaoyorozu had masterfully oriented her away from the nuclear weapon as their melee dragged on. Denki and Mineta were rolling around in the world's worst Siamese twin impression, which left her on her own to come up with some way to turn things around. She didn't have to worry about Mineta, so she should be able to come up with something, right?

Yaoyorozu feinted an overhead strike, and in the second it took Kyoka to recognize the deception, she was met with a swing to the gut by the girl's steel weapon. She was sent tumbling back towards the two boys, and the villainous recommendation student took position a few meters in front of the weapon.

She was good.

Kyoka knelt on the ground to catch her breath. There was no way she could win this by fighting head-on, and her Quirk wouldn't help. Even if her stereo boots were amazing at incapacitation, she'd be rooted in place as the attack went on, and she did _not _want to risk Yaoyorozu taking advantage of her immobility. If her Quirk was as versatile as she made it sound, then she might even be able to counter it with some gadget before the attack even reached her.

And then Team G would be nigh-on guaranteed to lose, time out or no.

Which left only one option.

She rose to her feet and held her pipe weapon at the ready. It was dented and damaged under the steel quarterstaff's assault, but it'd hold out for as long as it needed to. Yaoyorozu struck another pose, holding Kyoka at bay with her longer-ranged weapon.

"You really don't know when to quit, do you? I'll admit, it makes for an admirable quality in a hero," Yaoyorozu complimented through a determined mask.

"No… I really don't. Gotta keep rockin' on, ya know?" Kyoka huffed, "Denki!"

_'If Midoriya can be reckless and win, then so can I! Yaoyorozu may be smart,'_

"Yeah?" He grunted as he struggled to his feet. Mineta was now somehow fused to his back.

"I need you to go stupid!" She commanded.

_'But if you can counter whatever plan I can come up with,'_

"Uhh… I think that's a really bad idea! Besides, you made me promise-"

"Just do it!"

_'Then I'll just turn your own brain against you!'_

Denki stumbled as Mineta struggled against his back but nodded. "Ok! Indiscriminate Shock…"

Kyoka ducked beneath a preemptive strike from Yaoyorozu's quarterstaff, but once the villain heard Denki's declaration of his Super Move, she suddenly turned her back to her opponent. She dropped into a crouch, and her Quirk's signature pink glow began to emanate from her back. Her leotard began to strain against whatever new creation was trying to break free.

"Wait wait wait wait-" Mineta cried, "I'm still-"

"1,300,000 Volts!" Denki shouted.

An insulated blanket tore free of Yaoyorozu's costume, and she raised her defense from the announced electric attack. The ensuing electrical storm filled the room with innumerable arcs of lightning, and Mineta cried out in pain, but Kyoka couldn't be happier. All was going according to plan.

While Yaoyorozu was raising her defense, Kyoka had taken advantage of the recommendation student's weakness – she was only one person. She was forced to use both hands to shield herself from Denki's assault, and in so doing, turned herself into a tool for _Team G's_ victory.

The earlobe jacked girl had dived in front of Yaoyorozu the moment the electrical inferno began, both protecting herself and revealing a clear path towards the weapon. The buxom brunette realized what was happening too late.

"Thanks for the shield!" Kyoka teased.

Denki's attack hadn't ended, but there was no time to lose. The insulated blanket kept the path clear, and even though she was struck by a few stray sparks on the way, Kyoka kept running. In a few short seconds, right as electricity began to subside, the only thing she would hear would be the sound of her palm hitting thin metal.

Team G had just secured the warhead.

"The hero team, with only _ten seconds _to spare… _wins_!" All Might declared over the intercom.

Kyoka heaved a sigh of relief. She judged that she was short on time, but ten seconds? That was cutting it too close for comfort. She may have adopted Midoriya's knack for recklessness, but that didn't mean coming a hair's breadth away from losing was fun.

But she hadn't lost, and that was what counted.

She started turning around. "Hey, Yaoyorozu-"

The brunette rose to her feet, her blanket held over her shoulders. "What is it?"

Kyoka broke out into a cold sweat and buried her face in her hands. "Uh… y-your… costume?" She blurted out, gesticulating in her direction with her earlobe jacks.

"Ah," Yaoyorozu stated with realization, "my apologies. I'm afraid one shortcoming of having to create an entire insulated blanket on short notice is that there's no time to keep my costume from tearing apart."

As the taller student concealed herself in the entirety of the blanket, Kyoka had to suppress a groan. Sure, she heard the costume rip but…

That didn't change the fact Yaoyorozu's chest was _bare in front of her_ in the aftermath of their fight. Kyoka wasn't a prude, unless you were at a spa, but she had a _very _high aversion to nudity.

Something it appeared Yaoyorozu was the polar opposite about. Which was unsurprising given how her costume stretched the limit on how much skin could be legally put on display already.

"I'll get on creating another costume for me to change into at once," Yaoyorozu comforted, crouching down as pink glowed from within her shelter, "I imagine you should tend to your teammate in the meantime?"

Kyoka avoided looking in Yaoyorozu's direction as she began changing. "Y-yeah."

"Denki?" She asked as she walked towards him. Mineta was passed out, _thank goodness_, and the lightning user was facing away from the naked student nearby. Kyoka wasn't about to turn him around to see how he was doing.

For obvious reasons.

To her surprise, Denki giggled. "Whuh-huh!"

"Oh."

She rounded her partner to face him head on and met what was most likely the goofiest expression she'd ever seen on another human being. That was when she remembered.

"Right. Told you to go stupid," she recalled, "You really did go all out, huh?"

"Yyyyyesh!" He exclaimed, throwing two thumbs up – he'd probably trained to do so to let everyone know he was alright.

His head lolled backward, and Kyoka caught him before he could fall over. "Sorry Denki, but you can't look over there. How about we get back to the class?"

"He-heh?"

"Yes, Denki, class," Kyoka deadpanned, lightly shoving him out the broken doorway.

"Haww…" Denki whined, but he kept walking.

About five feet before he turned and hit a wall, but he was trying.

The purple-haired girl sighed. "Have you uh… got Mineta, or…?"

She heard a zipping noise. "Yes, I believe I do, though I appreciate the offer. I believe we both know how… unbecoming my teammate's disposition regarding women is already…"

"Yeah," Kyoka quickly agreed before walking off towards Denki, "Yeah we do."

It was going to be a long year.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So… y'know how I gave the POV to Denki and Kyoka…? Well uh, let's just say a wonderful MHA fic by the name of Torchbearer inspired me to give those two a lot more characterization than in canon. Not only does it give me the freedom to explore another two cool characters, but it gives me the chance to emphasize them more – at least in combat – as friends of Jomei and Akiko via a spotlight on them. Do I have grand aspirations for Denki and Kyoka? Probably not yet. Am I going to have fun with them in the future? Darn right. I've already laid **_**wayyy**_ **too much groundwork to leave their character moments behind, at any rate. Oh, and **_**just you wait until I improve upon Denki…**_** poor guy is too cool to be squandered as bad as he's been in canon. **

**Oh, and one last note on POVs? I'm **_**maybe**_** going to play around with more POV's as time goes on. It probably won't be often enough for the focus to not still mostly be on Akiko and Jomei, but it'll **_**sometimes** _**happen, I think.**

**Anyways, I'm sure you're all questioning how Momo was beaten by Kyoka and Denki in this timeline huh? Let me just say this – I don't like how those two were rendered the worst of Class 1-A in terms of both strategy, screen time, and intelligence in canon, and thus, I'm making accommodations to fulfill their potential. Additionally, I literally can't see a scenario where S1 Mineta is level-headed enough in this fight to fight strategically, with how he acted in many instances. At any rate, 'least I updated monthly like I said I would, eh? I look forward to seeing you all next time - in a month or less!**

_**Overall Teams Standings: **_**  
****A:**** Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco – **_**Battle 1 Winners**_**  
****B:**** Shoji Mezo & Todoroki Shoto – **_**Battle 2 Winners**_**  
****C:**** Mineta Minoru & Yaoyorozu Momo **_**– Battle 3 Losers**_**  
****D:**** Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya – **_**Battle 1 Losers**_**  
****E:**** Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga  
****F:**** Koda Koji & Sato Rikido  
****G:**** Jiro Kyoka & Kaminari Denki **_**– Battle 3 Winners**_**  
****H:**** Asui Tsuyu & Tokoyami Fumikage  
****I:**** Ojiro Mashirao & Hagakure Toru – **_**Battle 2 Losers**_**  
****J:**** Sero Hanta & Kirishima Eijiro  
****K:**** Nishimura Jomei & Takara Akiko**


	8. Battle Trials, Part 3

Jomei fully expected the cameras to go dark in Battle Building C. Denki unleashing an electrical storm in such an enclosed space would be sure to fry any electrical unit not specifically designed to endure such an attack, after all. That said, when the cameras remained operational during the entire attack, he simply thought that it was a testament to U.A.'s quality that they were undamaged.

And then, mysteriously, the cameras focused on Kyoka and Yaoyorozu went dark.

He would've been willing to pass it off as a glitch of the system, but when Teams C and G came back and it seemed Kyoka could hardly stand to look Yaoyorozu in the eye, _that _was when he got confused. He would've asked about it, but his refined social senses told him to bury the question where he'd never find it again.

So, that was what he did. Besides, there were more important things to ponder, like-

"Alright! Now that everyone's here, it's time to announce the MVP for battle three!" All Might declared with wide-open arms.

"To begin, some notes for all involved! Team C," he began, turning towards the two students, "your anticipation of your opponents' method of operating was commendable! A truly stellar example of what it means to be one step ahead of your foes!"

Yaoyorozu nodded. It was clear that his words were more meant for her than her bandaged-up 'teammate,' but her discretion was commendable.

"And Team G! Your performance epitomized what it means to think on your toes! Prepared as your villainous foes may have been, your on-the-fly strategy is what won you this match! Everyone, take notes."

"Of course," Yaoyorozu agreed.

"Thank you, sir," Kyoka acknowledged, one hand on a still-loopy Denki.

All Might nodded. "Now for the moment of truth! The MVP of battle three is… Jiro Kyoka!" He declared, "Your quick thinking and determination to throw yourself back into that storm you told your teammate to make is _exactly _what won your team the match!"

A round of applause followed from Class 1-A, and Kyoka went unexpectedly wide-eyed. She wasn't animated, but she certainly looked more touched than she ever had in the brief time Jomei had known her. The two teams then stepped back into the crowd, and All Might fished out his phone in preparation for the next match.

Akiko was the first to step up to their friends. "Congratulations, Kyoka! I thought Yaoyorozu kind of had you on the ropes towards the end, there."

Kyoka let go of Denki's shoulder. "Thanks. I'll admit, it wasn't all my idea. Remember Midoriya?"

"Yeah? What about him?" Jomei asked. Looking over at Denki, it was clear he was cognizant enough to speak, but he was still occasionally shaking his head, as if to dispel a fog.

"Well, I kind of got inspired by his all-in strategy. Seemed like the right chord to hit, so I went for it." She shrugged.

"So Midoriya inspired you, huh…?" Jomei pondered.

"Yep. So I guess he might not be as crazy as he looked towards the end of his match," Kyoka said.

Jomei tilted his head in consideration. The gambit, risky though it may have been, had gotten the job done, so he supposed he couldn't object. He then turned, clapping Denki on the shoulder as his expression snapped back into a smile. "Gotta say, Denki, you looked pretty cool out there, too!"

Denki rubbed his eyes and stretched before answering. "Uh, cool? No, it was… kinda warm, actually- wait! Uh, you meant- right. Thanks."

"Don't worry, this is just part of him getting back into being himself again. Takes a little bit," Kyoka explained when Team J shot her a confused look.

"Yeah. Just… give me a minute. By next match I'll be an apple…" Denki waved off, "Peachy! I meant peachy!"

"Right," Jomei snorted, and Akiko tried to hide her own smile behind her hand.

"Now that the MVP of the third match has been decided, it's time to set up the next round!" All Might instructed. Class 1-A quieted, and he pressed the button on his phone. "Battle four will take place between… Team K and Team J! You know the drill – Takara and Nishimura will be the heroes, and Kirishima and Sero will be the villains!"

The gaseous Quirk user's arms tightened as he pumped the air. "Alright!"

'_Time to show what you're made of Jomei – no holding back!'_

Beside him, Akiko took a steadying breath, but said nothing.

Kirishima, however, was far more animated, as was Sero. They shared a high five and Kirishima even struck a 'We Can Do It!' sort of pose. "You got that right! Let's show everyone what we're made of!" He cheered.

One resolute handshake between the members of Team J later and everyone headed out the door. Akiko kept in stride beside her companion, and soon, Jomei shot her a determined look that let her know exactly what he was thinking.

'_You ready for this?'_

She narrowed her mismatched eyes, and surprisingly, her chest flared a determined orange as she returned the gesture.

'_Totally.'_

Jomei could only smile to himself in response. It was time for their big debut to Class 1-A, and _nothing _was going to hold them back.

* * *

It wasn't long before the two teams arrived outside of their designated fighting area. Battle Building Delta was a relatively expansive, three-story-tall brick building that resembled a junior high, and it'd be the place Teams K and J would make their marks. The size of the place would've been almost foreboding if Jomei was the dramatic type, but at the moment, his attention was drawn to All Might's advice to each team.

Still, there was something familiar about the building that he couldn't quite place.

"Young Kirishima, Sero. I offer you this wisdom," All Might began. "Although your peers have exhibited exceptional planning skills that make the most of their intellect, playing to your own strengths might be the key to your victory."

"So, play tough?" Kirishima asked.

Sero raised a finger. "Play clever?"

All Might raised his hands in mock surrender. "Your strategy is yours to decide! A blend of both or adopting one of your trains of thought are equally meritable options."

The two boys shared a look as Kirishima tapped a finger to his temple as if to signify thinking. At that, Sero let a long-toothed smile sprawl across his face and his lanky body stretched into an overly macho flex. They then quickly entered their building to prepare for the heroes' assault, clearly on the same page thanks to the mutual agreeability they evidently shared.

All Might watched them go before marching over to Team K. Jomei smiled confidently at the Symbol of Peace, while Akiko seemed frozen in place at her idol being right in front of her.

"Now, as for you two! While I do encourage taking inspiration from your peers, also realize that their recklessness – while admirable – is not always the key to victory. Sometimes technique and quick wits can prevail, as it was the better part of young Jiro's plan before it ended up shocking her. Literally!"

"O-of course, All Might! You can count on us!" Akiko managed through her adulation.

Jomei placed a hand on her shoulder, throwing a thumbs up and a beaming grin at their teacher. "Right. You don't have anything to worry about with us, sir!"

The titan threw his head back in a warmhearted, short laugh. "Then I'll leave you two to it then! Best of luck!" With a final grin, he handed the pair their blueprints to study and bolted off.

As soon as he was gone, Akiko's grip on her paper tightened, and she came out of her daze. "Right, so… we should probably get started on studying these blueprints."

She unfolded her document, but Jomei playfully shoved into her shoulder. "I know he has a million-dollar smile, but he's still human, you know."

Pretending indifference, he unfolded his own copy of the building, and Akiko's chest piece flushed magenta. "H-hey!" she sputtered. "It's not like its every day you get the Symbol of Peace _personally _giving you advice! He's just so…"

"Dreamy?" Jomei teased. Akiko really _was _fangirling!

"I-I was going to say awesome! He's… everything I aspire to be as a hero," she added, looking down at the blueprints.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that. So! Three floors, tons of windows, auditorium taking up the back of the school… you getting any weird vibes from this place too?" Jomei asked, glancing between his teammate and the schematics.

"Hm… I get what you're saying… it does seem kind of familiar…" Akiko trailed off.

Jomei followed her gaze. The building loomed large before them. There was something about the overhang at the entrance, the flowering bushes near the sidewalk…

Akiko gasped. "Wait, is this Korusa?!"

With a jolt out of the slouch he'd assumed against a nearby barrier, Jomei stared. "What? No way, I knew there was something familiar about this place! If there's a janitor's closet in the corner of the cafeteria, we'll know it's Korusa for sure."

His grin only grew as he studied the blueprints before him. While everyone knew that many of U.A.'s training facilities were modeled after Japan, if they'd just lucked out and been given their old junior high as a battleground… that'd almost be cruel to Team J.

As Jomei recognized the distinct design of his old school's cafeteria, though, he realized that such knowledge could still be a double-edged sword. Team K might have the advantage of familiarity with the building, but that familiarity might very well make them overlook telltale signs of danger if the villains played more tactically.

And that didn't even begin to consider Kirishima's unknown Quirk.

"It's definitely our old school," Akiko chimed in, "It has the janitor's closet and the emergency exits in the same spots and everything."

"Which begs the question – if you were a villain, where would you put the warhead? Probably not the cafeteria, since there are too many angles to come in from…" Jomei folded his paper. It wasn't like they'd be needing it, now.

They both looked up at the replica of their old school, scanning the face of the building to recall every nook and cranny they'd noticed over the years. There were so many secluded classrooms, bathrooms, and lounges to pick from that if they didn't come up with a plan, they'd likely drain away most of their time just looking for the villains.

This in of itself was likely why Korusa was chosen by U.A. as a place to be replicated as a battle building. It was a lesson for whoever was assigned the place, requiring the hero team to either get inside their opponents' heads or pray they could memorize the layout enough to plan a speedy search. As it stood, though, Team K was intimately familiar with how 'speedy' was not something you considered when traversing Korusa's massive main building.

Akiko hummed. "Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Jomei's brow furrowed.

"Well, we're thinking about every single possible place for Kirishima and Sero to be hiding the weapon, but we're forgetting that they really don't know the layout as well as we do."

"So, we're overthinking things?"

Akiko shrugged apologetically. "I'd… know a thing or two about that," she confessed.

"So, the better question is where you'd put a weapon where it's hard to reach, but you had to choose in a hurry so you could plan your strategy for the actual fight…" Jomei mused, "Well, what about the third floor?"

"It _does _have that super long hallway. It'd force us into being funneled towards them as we fight our way to the weapon, _and _it's a good go-to spot to use if you don't know the layout," Akiko thought aloud. "So do we want to assume that's where it is?"

Jomei set his blueprint on the ground and started stretching. "Probably… so that just leaves deciding our plan of attack, then."

"Hm… I could boost us up, if we want to sneak up and surprise them?"

He shook his head. "Nah. We don't know the details of their Quirks."

"Right. Fight smarter, not harder, like All Might said… and on second thought, your costume wouldn't do us any favors in the stealth department."

Jomei's eye-roll went unnoticed as he bent a knee and extended his other leg fully in a deep side lunge. "Not really the point of it, to be fair. Besides, it's not like my Quirk being so _literally _flashy screams 'stealthy infiltrator,'" he added facetiously, switching his lunge to the opposite knee. "Anyway, would a boost even be possible, though? Wouldn't that 'overexert' your Quirk?"

She shook her head. "No. The last time I did it, I was holding the zero-pointer at bay before carrying Shinso and me to safety. My limit might not be building-level or anything, but it isn't _terrible_."

Jomei rose to his feet, hands on his hips, and sighed. "Right. So, I say we make our way through the building up to the third floor and play it by ear from there. Unless we want to search the billion other hallways off each floor's big one, that's our best shot."

"Agreed." Akiko put a rock on top of their blueprints to keep them from blowing away. "Now all we have to do now is wait."

A brief few stretches on her part later, and Team K leaned back up against the concrete barrier in the same way they started. Jomei thought about the battle ahead and tried to plan some moves in his head, but his thought process kept turning back to Akiko. He'd be conscious of where a teammate's head was at even if it wasn't Akiko, but…

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course not," she answered.

"So," Jomei started. "Everyone else in Class 1-A is going to be watching us."

"Yeah… what about it?"

"Well, I just figured that you'd be way more nervous, is all! Anyone so much as looks at you during Aizawa-sensei's test and you freeze, but you're just as calm as can be right now," Jomei observed, gesturing towards her.

She blinked. "Oh! Right. It's not that I'm fine with people watching me and me alone, but… there's a few reasons that I think I'm okay right now." She twiddled her fingers together as she spoke. "One, there's three other people that everyone can pay attention to. Two, there's no audio, so people won't be able to tell if I'm nervous when I talk. And three, it's not like they'll be right in front of me – out of sight, out of mind, you know?"

"So what you're saying is that you won't be holding back because of nerves, huh?" Jomei asked.

Akiko returned a small, determined smile. "You could say that. I suppose the fact that you're on my team helps, too. In more than just the obvious ways."

Jomei nodded and relaxed, closing his eyes to focus on readying his Quirk. Noble Gases may have been a rare instance of two peoples' Quirks blending seamlessly together, but it was just like any other, at the end of the day. It was like a muscle. It needed to be stretched, warmed up, which was why preparing his Quirk just as well as his body was going to be key in the upcoming battle.

His first real battle, at that.

His first no holds barred, honest-to-goodness fight. To say he was excited would be an understatement. He'd been waiting fifteen years to let the world know what he could do, and he planned to make every second of the battle ahead show that he was _born _for this.

What's even better was that, since he didn't have to worry about Akiko's head being in the game, that meant they'd _both _be fighting at their absolute best. He couldn't have asked for a better debut if he tried.

* * *

As Midoriya headed back to Training Ground Beta, he couldn't help but lament what'd happened to his costume. He didn't consider himself a mama's boy, by any stretch of the imagination, but when the parent most present in his life went out of her way to create such an outfit… it felt special. It wasn't fancy, or high-tech, but it _meant _something to him. In the short time he had fought in that green jumpsuit, he really felt like a hero. Like 'Deku,' an insult so long used by his frenemy-turned-bully Bakugo, was finally the name of a hero.

But within his first outing, his mask has been obliterated, the arms were blasted apart, and the rest of it was so scuffed that it needed to be sent over to a support company for repairs. That meant that, for at least one more hero course outing, he'd be unable to wear his costume. In the absence of his costume, Recovery Girl – after healing his wounds – suggested he wear the school's sports uniform in the meantime. The fabric wasn't that sturdy, but it served its purpose as a stand-in costume well. Thankfully, he was able to salvage some spare black pads for his knees and arms, as well as his respirator, so he wasn't _just _wearing the sports uniform by itself.

Not that it looked bad. A dark blue tracksuit with thick white lines across the chest and legs spelling 'U.A.' didn't look _bad_, it just… wasn't his costume.

As he continued through the streets of the training ground, he chided himself a little. In the grand scheme of things, his costume getting wrecked was a small price to pay on the path to becoming a Pro Hero.

And the next Symbol of Peace, if he wanted to make All Might proud.

Midoriya had learned from experience that not all people were created equal. Some were born with phenomenal Quirks and prodigious combat instincts, like Kacchan, but some others were born with nothing. Midoriya was one such unlucky soul. Eighty percent of the world's population possessed a Quirk, but he was somehow part of the other 20%. And despite trying his hardest to hope against hope that he could be a hero without a Quirk, it had become readily apparent that such a thing was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Even still, he studied and obsessed over heroes more than anyone else – to an almost unhealthy degree – to try anyway. And one day, that obsession and his adoration of one hero above all others paid off.

By sheer chance, All Might had seen a heroic soul in him, and after ten months of arduous training, he was set to defy all known laws of Quirks. He had _inherited _All Might's Quirk – a power-stockpiling force of nature known only as One for All.

Even so, he still had a long way to go to make his mentor proud. While All Might's health degraded, he needed to race against the clock to control the Quirk he'd been granted. It was easier said than done, but he wasn't going to let his timidity get in the way. Not by a long shot. If nothing else, his fight against Kacchan had proved to himself that he could at least call himself worthy of attending the school of his dreams.

When he arrived outside the observation room Recovery Girl had sent him to, he hesitated. What if Kacchan was still mad? The last thing Midoriya remembered was flustered, indignant rage on his bully's face before he'd fallen unconscious. Would Kacchan just charge at him in anger when he entered?

'_No. Kacchan's hot-headed, but he's not stupid. He'd know that attacking me in front of everyone, or at all, would get him expelled. Besides! Iida and Uraraka are there.'_

Midoriya shook his head and opened the door. He expected All Might's titanic muscle form to greet him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was wrapping up a match? No, the timer on the monitor was still at fifteen minutes, so a match was about to start.

A bubbly feminine voice jolted him back to reality. "Deku!"

"Uraraka! H-hi!" He nervously greeted as she ran over to meet him. He really needed to get used to talking to girls… or at least this one.

"Ah, Midoriya. I see you're alive and well – good. It'd be a shame for one of our colleagues to be out of action for long on account of a training exercise," Iida added, walking over at a much more leisurely pace.

"Right! Uh, I'm not really fit for action again yet, though," Midoriya explained, rolling up the sleeve of his sports uniform to reveal his bandaged-up arm.

"Oh, what happened? Couldn't Recovery Girl heal you up?" Uraraka fretted, sliding close enough to make him break into a cold sweat.

"Uhh, y-you know! Recovery Girl's Quirk u-uses your energy to make your body heal and I was already kind of tired," he elaborated with a nervous laugh.

"Of course. U.A.'s prestigious nurse might be a lifesaver, but she's no miracle worker. That said, I am happy to see you out and about again," Iida chimed in.

The trio then turned and rejoined the greater mass of Class 1-A. Midoriya couldn't help but notice how many excited eyes landed on him – even the usually-reserved Jiro was stealing a glance or two at him. For someone who knew he looked plain, this in of itself was almost more unnerving than Uraraka's companionship at times. Kacchan was keeping to himself in the corner of the room, but somehow, that didn't feel like a good thing. Only time would tell what this reaction would mean for the Explosion user.

"Hey, Iida?" He asked.

"Yes, Midoriya?"

"What'd I miss while I was gone? And I don't mean just the fights – everyone's… noticing me."

"Oh, that? Believe it or not Midoriya, you've been something of a talking point amidst our peers. I believe your performance in our match has ignited something of a competitive flame in everyone's hearts. It's somewhat inspiring, really." Iida shifted his helmet over to another arm so he could put a fist over his heart in respect.

'_Everyone… inspired by me?'_

From an unnoticed speck on the side of the road fanboying over heroes to being noticed by his whole class… now _that _was a change in pace he hadn't seen coming. He was about to do a mental marathon trying to figure out what this meant for him, but Uraraka cut in on his musings before they could begin.

"But you've got to check out the other battles' recordings, though! The second match was so short but so cool, literally! Todoroki froze everyone even after Shoji got captured, and the third was even cooler than that!" Uraraka cheered, reenacting moves from the match with an admirable faithfulness to the fighters in how she moved.

"Really? I guess I have to, then. Who was up against who, anyway?" Midoriya inquired.

"Todoroki and Shoji were up against Hagakure and Ojiro, and afterward, Yaoyorozu and Mineta were matched against Kaminari and Jiro. Battles two and three, respectively," Iida answered with a firm adjustment of his glasses.

"And who's up now?" Midoriya asked. Analysis of those earlier battles would have to wait – no point in thinking about the results of fights he hadn't witnessed, after all.

"Team K and Team J, meaning Nishimura and Takara will be against Kirishima and Sero," Iida answered without delay.

Midoriya may not have intended to think about the fights he hadn't seen, but with the reveal of the teams involved in battle four, he quickly sank into one of his more unsettling habits… unintelligible mumbling. Even without knowing anything about the combatants' Quirks, the speculative steel trap that was his mind latched onto every detail he'd gathered from his peers to try and predict what would happen. He may not have had anything more than minimal interactions with the four fighters, but preparing himself to learn more about them during the battle ahead couldn't hurt.

As a result of his musings, he didn't feel the rumblings of a certain Pro Hero's whirlwind sprint until they nearly reached the observation room.

Ashido and Aoyama were faster to react, however, as the moment the faintest hint of their teacher showed itself, they _bolted _from their spot near the door. Either one of them possessed some kind of precognitive Quirk – which, judging by their costumes, was unlikely – or they had some experience with what came next.

All Might burst through the door, knocking the poor thing off its hinges as he belted out the words he was known for. "I am here…! And evidently in need of working on my dramatic entrances!" He huffed as he tenderly stepped over his inanimate victim.

As the Symbol of Peace walked by, only one thought went through his protégé's head.

'_Please tell me he's only busting through doors because of his time limit…'_

The hero let out a cough and awkwardly whistled his way past a relieved Ashido on his way to the control panel ahead. "Anyway…"

* * *

"Team K, Team J! Ready up, because your brawl begins now!" All Might announced.

The two members of Team K shared a nod, kicking off their temporary resting spot to head within their old school. As they traversed the bush-lined sidewalk leading to the front entrance, Akiko's hair and crystal core turned emerald green, her left eye matching, but her right a distinctly lighter shade. At the same time, Jomei shrouded himself in a thin coat of noble gases but didn't quite enter Light Speed. There was no rushing their operation when they didn't know what was waiting for them.

A dark-tiled foyer was the first thing they encountered, just the same as they remembered. Browns and tans arranged in a checkered formation made up the floor, transitioning into the furnished area of the receptionist's desk to their right, offices on their left, and the first floor's monolithic hallway in front of them.

Noble gases condensed around Jomei's hand as they worked their way forward. Like a gunman about to fire, his fingers hovered near his hips, itching to expel his Quirk with concussive force. It was a subtle thing he did to prepare for battle, but one he knew his teammate had picked up on, nonetheless.

Though they had a suspicion that Team J would be protecting their weapon on the third floor, they didn't hurry towards the stairwell at the end of the hallway. Not only did it protect them from a possible ambush the many smaller hallways may have hidden, but it let them at least try to detect the villains if they happened to be on the first floor.

To their surprise, they didn't have to look for long before they encountered one of their adversaries.

In the distance, a spiky red-haired mass of muscle and testosterone came into view as he walked down the stairs.

Kirishima's costume was rather exposing, all things considered. His chest was 'armored' with two gear-shaped shoulder pads, dark red in color, with only a jagged sash that connected to his belt covering his impressive physique. His belt itself had a red "R" in its center, holding up baggy black pants and an intentionally ripped half cape that hovered above his thick black boots. The most peculiar part of the costume was the wired guard around his face, attached to his hairline, his jaw, and even his chin, with small fang-like protrusions pointing up from the lowest portion.

If his goal was to resemble a far more family-friendly version of an Oni, he'd certainly succeeded.

Kirishima stopped a few meters in front of the stairwell, rolling his neck as a sharp-toothed grin spread across his lips. "I figured you guys would take the forward approach. I may not know a ton about ya, but you guys don't seem like the sneaky types."

Jomei dropped into a lower stance, ready for combat. "Where's the weapon? This'll go a lot easier for both of us if you just tell us up-front."

Kirishima cracked his knuckles. "You two seem pretty smart, so I don't think I need to tell you. What I _will _tell you is that I'm playing bouncer for Team J," he said confidently, "It's the best thing I can do for my team, and I can take whatever you two can dish out with Hardening."

'_Hardening. So that's the name of his Quirk…'_ Akiko thought.

Jomei's eyes narrowed, and his fingers twitched. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Akiko shook her head. "Probably not. I think he's baiting us so we lose time."

"What?" Jomei asked.

"Think about it – we have no reason to think he's bluffing. His costume is way too exposing for it to be useful as protection unless his Quirk covers that for him," Akiko surmised, "We can't afford to waste our time."

"Then I'm guessing you know what my plan of attack is, huh?" Jomei proposed, his gaseous shroud growing thicker.

Akiko raised her fists and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Good luck."

Without a second's hesitation, Akiko tapped her foot into the ground, and a small stone flew up from the floor before her. A punch followed the movement, and the invisible command sent the rock sailing towards Kirishima.

Jomei broke into a Light Speed sprint, allowing himself to be outpaced by the projectile.

Kirishima grinned. His right arm turned jagged and sharp, and he intercepted the stone with a jab that powderized the attack in an instant. "Gonna have to try harder than that!" He said. His left arm followed suit, hardening as its wielder braced himself for Jomei's anticipated assault. It never came.

In the brief moment it took Kirishima to register that the flashy hero was trying to run _past _him, the hook that he unleashed to try and halt his opponent in his tracks came out too late. Jomei ducked underneath the devastating swing, leaving nothing but a fading trail of bright gas in his wake as he raced towards the stairs.

The villain turned to pursue the escapee, but was quickly met with a wall of earth sealing off the hallway. Far behind him, hands upturned and raised like claws in the air, Akiko had used emerald mode to buy her teammate time.

"You can try to break it down," Akiko said as Kirishima whirled to face her again, "But that'll just leave you wide open – Hardening or no, that's not a great strategy if you still want to win."

Kirishima may have looked almost absurdly chiseled for his age, and wasn't bluffing about his durability, but Akiko was resolved to the fight she'd chosen. Jomei was faster than her, so it only made sense to send him to retrieve the weapon.

All she had to do now was remain confident in her own strategy and technique, just like All Might said.

Kirishima was clearly unperturbed by the change in events. He sank into a boxer's stance, his fists raised, and the smile on his face was genuine and almost impressed. "Ok, you got me there. Didn't expect one of you guys to run, but here's the thing. Team J isn't _all brawn_."

And then he charged, leaving broken stone in his wake.

* * *

All Jomei heard as he raced up the stairs, aside from the high-pitched ejecting of his gases, was a resounding _boom_ coming from down below. Knowing Akiko was in emerald mode and could manipulate earth gave him some comfort regarding its source, but her opponent was no joke.

The rock that was sent flying at Kirishima wasn't huge, sure, but turning it into _dust _took a lot of strength, and the guy didn't even _flinch_. Jomei would've taken the time to be impressed if he hadn't been more focused on getting to the next floor in a hurry; which, thanks to Light Speed, didn't take long at all.

'_Thanks for the distraction Akiko, I'm not gonna let either of us down!'_

Peculiarly, as he reached the second floor, the steps leading up to the third floor were wrapped in a series of strips of… tape? Any thought of searching the floor he was now on faded into nothingness in a hurry. The amount of tape that clogged the stairwell upwards was more than Korusa had in its entirety, so it must've somehow been the work of Team J.

Jomei raised his palm to the strip of tape, cutting through it with a single shot of the first attack he'd ever conceived – a Neon Beam. Lighter, faster, and weaker than his Phosphor Beam, the gaseous attack still did its job and slashed through the trap in a moment.

Of course, there were more strips of tape merely a few steps ahead. Jomei groaned, settling on using Light Speed to rush past and jump over the speed bump instead of wasting gas before he even began fighting in earnest. His body's proverbial and literal gas tank may have been expansive enough to let him fight with his Quirk, but he wasn't about to waste who-knows-how-much of it trying to slowly work his way through the adhesive.

And he was _not _going to fail when people were watching.

It was as he ducked, dove, and leaped over the railing to avoid being ensnared by the blockade that Jomei recalled who Sero was. Of course, the sheer amount of tape around the stairs should've tipped him off, but it wasn't like he could remember everyone's names on only the second day of class.

'_So that was the guy who was swinging around during the practical exam… that's who I'm up against. Seems like a nice guy, but his Quirk's gotta be strong since it lets him fly around, so he's probably going to try and slow me down or capture me.'_

As he considered the possibilities of how he should combat the tape-slinger, Jomei arrived at the flight of stairs' last landing. The web of adhesive had grown so condensed that the exit to the stairs was practically blanketed in the white stuff, but luckily, the railing nearby was clear.

After climbing on top of the railing, one strong jump was all it took for Jomei to reach the third floor proper. He momentarily dissipated his gaseous purple coat and caught his breath.

Then, right as he entered the grand hallway, he saw three things.

One. The warhead was at the end of the hallway, as he and Akiko had predicted.

Two. Sero, in all his tape-slinging glory, was guarding the weapon. His face was hidden behind the black visor of his yellow helmet which, a bit on the nose, resembled a tape dispenser – as did his shoulder pads. The rest of his costume was a skin-tight black bodysuit with a turtleneck, its splashes of color laying in its yellow armbands and the white pattern on his torso. Of course, his white boots also shared the yellow trim, but that wasn't as important as Jomei's next observation:

The entire hallway was an absolute _labyrinth _of tape. Open doors, strewn-about lockers, and furniture from the classrooms lining the walls were caught in the web like strategically placed flies. So, if Jomei wanted to reach the warhead, he was going to have a long ordeal of dodging debris ahead of him, to say nothing of the trap's designer himself.

The lanky evildoer let out an overdramatic laugh before pointing in his direction. "Bwahahaha! Now you listen here, hero! You'll _never _get through my trap, _never_!"

Jomei couldn't hold back a smile. "You know, I kinda saw this coming because of the stairwell thing and all, but still. This is pretty impressive."

"Wait… really?" Sero asked, his villainous persona dropping for an instant. "Nevermind! It doesn't matter, for I accounted for _all _possible angles of attack!"

The Noble Gases user surrounded himself in light again. It really was awesome that Sero was getting so into character, so he decided to return the favor. He had inherited some of his father's showmanship, after all. "Is that so? Well I'll have you know, villain, that heroes tend to find a way to triumph in the end!"

He surged forward, diving through a gap in Sero's snare before avoiding a strip of tape that went flying toward his way. The tape might've been stored awkwardly in Sero's bulky elbows, but he'd clearly trained well with his Quirk.

Unfortunately for Sero, Jomei had done the same and then some.

Sero pulled back a stray chair in the hallway with his failed attack, aiming the impromptu weapon squarely at Jomei's back on its return trip. Jomei didn't falter for a moment, flipping into the air to avoid the furniture.

Six Neon Beams rushed through the maze separating the fighters, though the retaliatory strike only managed to cut through three strips of tape. The rest missed his opponent entirely.

Jomei landed on his feet and continued rushing through the hallway as fast as he could, given the circumstances. Another wicked laugh filled his ears.

"Ahahaha! You could _never_ hope to cut your way through my trap in time! You're not dealing with cellophane; you're dealing with something _far _stronger!" Sero taunted.

"Tape's still tape, villain!" Jomei returned, narrowly ducking another ranged attack as he dug deeper into the maze.

If he thought that _tape _was going to be enough to trip him up, Sero had another thing coming. Jomei didn't plan on having his debut end in failure. Not for a second.

* * *

"So… is anyone noticing how Takara's hair changed colors? It's all green! Her eyes and her crystal thingie too!" Ashido questioned.

On one of the many screens beneath the replica school building, Takara was trading blows with Kirishima. Well, trading blows would be an exaggeration. From what little information Midoriya had to work with, the tall girl's Quirk was most assuredly an Emitter-type. She was slinging stones towards the wielder of Hardening periodically at range, forcing him to slow down or risk a rock throwing off his stride.

It was most assuredly an interesting Quirk with many possibilities, even if this was all it was, but Ashido's question was one with merit. Takara's crystal core changed colors regularly, but that didn't explain the change in color the rest of her features exhibited now.

Yaoyorozu answered before Midoriya could shake his thoughtful stupor. "It's rather simple, really. I imagine you're familiar with the engines in Iida's calves? The pads on Uraraka's fingers?"

"Uh… yeah?" Ashido scratched her chin for a moment. "Oh! So you're saying that it's part of how her Quirk works?"

Midoriya nodded. "Yaoyorozu's right. It's entirely possible that there's no connection between her appearance changing and her accessing her Quirk to manipulate earth!"

"Be that as it may, I don't believe that's the only function of her gift," Iida pointed out.

"What do you mean, Iida?" Uraraka asked.

"I mean that in conversation, I learned that she utilized what she calls 'peridot mode' during Aizawa-sensei's test the other day. It's clear that whatever her Quirk lets her do, it isn't strictly bound to a single element."

"Then how many secrets slither in her shadow, I wonder?" Tokoyami ruminated.

"I imagine it has something to do with four of the classical elements," Yaoyorozu offered. "Iida's right. She exhibited at least some measure of control over air the other day, and here she is now raising barriers of earth and hefting stone. Add in the fact that I overheard her and Nishimura discussing 'Crystal Core's literal fire power with ruby mode,' and the conclusion becomes clear."

"If that's true… then her Quirk's incredibly versatile! She'd be suited to almost any environment for hero work! Combat or otherwise," Midoriya said.

"You're not wrong… but I wonder what her limit must be. She must have one – all Quirks do, after all," Todoroki quietly observed.

Iida bowed his head thoughtfully as Class 1-A mused on the matter. Ideas were tossed around that shifting from one mode to the other would overheat her, or that she felt the physical strain of whatever amount of material she moved, and so on. The speculation only grew more outlandish as time went on, however, and Iida eventually sighed through his nose.

"If we're in the business of speculation, then it'd be prudent of me to mention," he began, grabbing everyone's attention, "That I have been made aware of what her limit is."

"Is that so?" Todoroki questioned.

"Indeed. However unsavory of me it is to reveal, for the sake of preventing misinformation from being spread regarding our peers, I feel the need to make it known. So far as I've been informed, her Quirk's crystalline source is prone to shattering."

Ripples of surprise and traces of concern fluttered about the room. "I think it's important to point out that it only happens if the volume hits eleven when she's rocking with it." Kyoka pointed out, not turning from the fight.

"What she means is that it only happens if she overdoes it," Denki clarified, dodging an earlobe jack as he finished.

"Which begs the question of what 'overdoing it' means," Shoji said.

"Whatever it is, I think she's probably really familiar with it," Ojiro chimed in contemplatively, "She's holding back, and the only reason I can think of as to why she's doing that is to avoid whatever causes her Quirk to hurt her."

Denki raised a quizzical brow. "Well, how do you know that she's holding back?"

Ojiro shrugged, his tail swirling impassively behind him. "I can tell. Her fighting style has all the telltale signs of Hung Ga kung fu, and she might have some martial arts training because I'm also picking up hints of Baguazhang in how she's dodging."

On-screen, Kirishima and Takara were in close quarters for a few seconds. The lithe female fighter wove around each strike with grace, but didn't use her Quirk, instead opting to get behind Kirishima and create some space between them. For all intents and purposes, their positions hadn't really changed since their fight started, give or take a few meters.

"So, I can tell she's holding back when she isn't using that practice to take advantage of how sloppy and boxer-like Kirishima's fighting style is. I don't know if she has a plan, but I know that much," Ojiro concluded.

"Wow, Ojiro, that's amazing! How'd you pick up on all that?" Hagakure marveled.

Ojiro's tail fell limp on the floor as he sighed. "It's… kind of my thing…" He gestured towards his costume. "It's nice to not be the only martial artist around here though, even if her Quirk's flashier than mine."

"Ojiro's right. Her use of martial arts might very well be a method of reducing the strain her Quirk puts on her while maximizing its potential," Yaoyorozu concurred. "It's rather smart, actually. When you boil it down, she's working around a handicap, yet still makes the most of her capabilities."

'_A handicap, huh…?'_

Midoriya warily looked down at his hand. Conversation around him faded as he contemplated what it meant for his peer to be fighting against the odds her Quirk stacked against her. He knew that Aoyama couldn't fire his navel laser for more than a second at a time before his stomach ached, but the source of a person's Quirk _shattering_? It was something only he could relate to.

Granted, One for All didn't shatter – it's inexperienced wielder's limbs did – but the principle was the same. The same way Aizawa forced him to go beyond and figure out how to channel his Quirk into only a finger, instead of his whole arm, and avoid being incapacitated, so too did Takara go beyond. In every fight she had to be wary of her own limits, and yet she still fought.

She fought to make it into U.A. She _fought _to make it into Japan's most prestigious school.

Meanwhile, Midoriya felt like his place at U.A. had been gift-wrapped for him by All Might. His hand turned into a fist as he felt this, and he looked over at his mentor and idol.

'_If I want to be worthy of this power that you've given me… I've got to keep going beyond. And I will! That's a promise, All Might!'_

* * *

After what Akiko had estimated was about five minutes of fighting Kirishima, just about nothing had changed. Their positions in the hallway were back to where they started, and with neither side weakening, their strategies remained overwhelmingly the same.

Kirishima's sharp-toothed grin never faltered as he attempted to rush down his opponent once again, and Akiko hefted rock and tile behind her right back at the brute. Her attacks only slowed him down for as long as it took him to punch or shoulder-charge his way through though.

It was clear she couldn't overpower her opponent traditionally, not unless she wanted to bust her crystal core on a gamble and leave Jomei without backup. Akiko let herself lose some ground – she needed time to think and analyze his fighting style, and she quickly felt her body dodging Kirishima's attacks automatically.

There wasn't much there to analyze, to begin with. It went without saying that his hardened flesh let him just brute force his way through his problems, but there was still a human limit to his bruiser-like tactics, she had found.

He was still busting through rock like it was papier mache, yes, but his attacks had slowed down from when they'd first started fighting. Considering the beads of sweat that formed at his brow, Akiko quickly hypothesized that there was a distinct limit to how much damage Kirishima could take. It didn't help her with the obstacle of _overcoming _that durability, but it was an advantage in of itself that she now knew his Quirk's enhancements did have a limit.

And if that was the case, then she could try and trap him.

'_Ok, so if Hardening has a finite limit to how long it can strengthen his muscles and his durability, then capturing him is probably my best option. That said, dancing around him with the capture tape might just get my bones knocked in by his jagged skin.'_

Before she could come up with a plan, Kirishima finally broke through her area-denying assault. He was within striking distance of her, and it didn't take a genius to figure out it was do-or-die time for both parties.

On instinct, Akiko's stance turned to one of Baguazhang-style defense. She may have been five centimeters taller than her foe, but her flexibility was her advantage. She stuck close to his body, taking advantage of light footwork to sidestep, duck, or otherwise weave through Kirishima's straightforward jabs and hooks.

'_Come on, Akiko, think! You can't overpower him traditionally, so remember what All Might said! Use strategy!'_

It was at that moment that she realized the fatal error in her rock-hard foe's form. Whenever she would sidestep one of Kirishima's attacks, he always left his back wide open. He always followed up with a brutal hook to try and ward her off, but the opportunity was there, as such an attack forced him to lift at least one foot off the ground.

In other words, it left him vulnerable.

Kirishima unleashed a potentially fight-ending cross with a roar, and Akiko knew that this was her chance. She ducked underneath the attack, spinning on her heel to end up right behind the villain. Kirishima lifted a foot to turn and retaliate with his favored hook, but she was one step ahead of him.

As the hook came hurtling towards her, Akiko moved with her opponent's muscular form, and as soon as it was clear he was only on one foot, she struck.

Her features rapidly changed from emerald green to peridot yellow, and she stood tall, delivering an open-palm strike to Kirishima's back. Augmented by a sudden burst of air, the hit threw Kirishima off his feet and hurtled him headfirst into the wall.

Just as anticipated, though, Kirishima had triggered his Quirk across his face just in time to avoid any damage. He shook off the impact with a growl and leapt to his feet.

As soon as he spun around, Akiko executed the second part of her plan.

'_I can't overpower you…'_

With dizzying speed, she returned to emerald mode and leapt backward. It'd be a draining technique to perform, but it was one that would undoubtedly turn the tide. Kirishima sent another angry cross her way, but she shifted her heel the moment she landed.

'_But I can outsmart you!'_

The earth beneath Kirishima became churning quicksand, swallowing him up to his shoulders before he could recover. A return of Akiko's heel to its original position solidified Kirishima's prison into solid rock, and suddenly, the Oni-looking villain was completely incapacitated.

"Wait, what the hell-" Kirishima started, wriggling in his newfound confinement.

"Sorry!" Akiko apologized, hopping over his head. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"

Running over to the earthen barrier that had sealed off the hallway earlier, she lowered a portion of it and jumped through. She continued onward towards the stairs, determined to meet back up with Jomei in case he needed help. Her crystal core may have been panging a little, like a sore muscle, but it was nowhere near breaking.

That fact alone was enough to reinvigorate the fighting spirit in her, and she raced up to the sounds of combat with a determined smile on her face.

* * *

For Jomei, progress through Sero's snare had been… slow, at best. He hadn't been hit by any of Sero's attacks, nor his snagged projectiles on their way back, which he considered a success, but nor had he made it any more than halfway towards the weapon. Considering the length of the monolithic hallway, that was an achievement, but there was still a _long _way for him to go and not a lot of time to do so.

Thankfully, even if he was three centimeters taller than Sero, he was still surprisingly agile. That said, acrobatic flips and spins in the air were difficult to execute in the best of times, and that wasn't even considering the speed at which Jomei had to execute such maneuvers without touching any part of the trap around him. One love tap and it would be all over.

The entire time, Jomei had been sprinkling in Neon Beams where he could. They may not have obliterated the web as he'd been hoping he'd be able to, but the attempts did provide him some key information.

If he wanted to blast his way through Sero's trap, he was going to need a _lot_ of gas, and a lot of charge. Lucky him, Neon Beams weren't all he could muster.

'_Okay, Jomei, if you're gonna punch right through this without giving him a second chance to work around your attack, you've gotta make it count. Or try to distract him…'_

Jomei planted himself firmly on the ground, aiming to fire a low-power attack right at Sero's face to disorient him. Unfortunately, another pair of elbow-bound strips rushed towards him, forcing him to leap to the side at the last second. The resulting Neon Beams all missed.

Sero withdrew his attack, and all Jomei could do was resume his previous strategy of working his way through the obstacle at Light Speed.

It was obvious Sero wasn't about to just let him stand around and prepare any attacks, though. With that in mind, Jomei knew he needed to perform the trickshot of his life if he wanted to get a beam off that could clear his path to the weapon.

But that was fine. He could do flashy stunts like that – hell, it was that kind of thing he looked forward to doing as a pro.

Jomei smiled, his eyes obscured by the bright neon lights that surrounded him. As he mentally prepared himself, Sero unleashed another speedy strip of adhesive to impair his progress.

He dropped out of Light Speed at the last second, and the tape landed a meter in front of him. Skidding to a halt, he held his palm out in front of him while his eyes and his arm flared with gaseous purples.

"Phosphor Beam!" he shouted.

Sero's eyes widened and he dove to the side.

A bright, powerful beam raced from Jomei's palm, snapping and burning through the entire labyrinth of tape before striking and denting the brick wall behind the warhead in a shower of sparks.

Sero's snare was nothing but ruined strips of tape hanging limp where they'd been destroyed, leaving Jomei a clear path to victory.

He re-entered Light Speed, racing towards the weapon while Sero was still on the ground. With nothing in his way, it'd take just a few seconds, and Team K would have its victory in the bag.

Sero lurched back to his feet as Jomei ran by him. In the few moments he had, he didn't hesitate, and unleashed the last dregs of tape his elbows' containers had left.

At this range, there'd be no dodging it.

And if it connected, there was a high chance Jomei would be captured.

Jomei's eyes widened as the strip of tape hissed through the air toward him. He turned, tried to dodge, but realized too late that the attack would hit him-

Only for an unusual gust of wind to blow the attack off-center.

The tape struck in a messy splat against a nearby locker, and without thinking, Jomei kept running. A few meters later, and his hand was triumphantly resting on the weapon. Team K had won.

Sero let out a tired sigh that came out as something of a groan and collapsed back down to his knees. He rubbed his cylindrical elbows before slicking back his chin-length hair and looked up at his opponent. "Well, guess I should've planned around someone trying to bust through the whole thing, huh?"

The blond hero turned around and let his Quirk dissipate into the air as he caught his breath. "Yeah, well you didn't know what my Quirk could do to begin with, so… yeah, not much more you could've done. Had me on the ropes there, though!" He hefted his peer back up to his feet.

Right as he did so, he caught a glimpse of a certain crystalline Quirk user behind his enemy. Stepping into full view from in front of Sero, Jomei threw a thumbs up towards Akiko, her peridot features fading back into their normal amethyst purple.

"I knew that wind wasn't normal. Thanks for the save," he said, smiling.

Akiko looked somewhat worn out, but with her hands on her hips, the tooth-baring grin she delivered in return outshone anything Jomei's Quirk had mustered during his side of the battle trial. His own smile grew just a little bit warmer.

"Well, you saw it yourselves, the hero team _decisively_… WINS!" All Might declared, jolting everyone in the building back to attention. "And Takara, would you mind helping Kirishima out? He's still kind of stuck."

Jomei's eyes widened. "Uh… what's that about?"

His friend's head bobbed from side to side before she decided to answer. "I… managed to trap Kirishima up to his shoulders in the ground," she humbly said.

The only response she received was a pair of gaping looks from the two ranged fighters.

* * *

It didn't take long for the two teams to return to the observation room. All it took to get Kirishima unstuck was Akiko shifting back into emerald mode to loosen up the ground, and then Sero and Nishimura combined were able to pluck the bulky boy out. Granted, it was rather annoying to pull what essentially amounted to a person-sized carrot from the ground, but the job was done in short order with minimal grumbling.

And, even though she'd never admit it, Akiko did find the whole thing kind of funny. Between her victory over Kirishima and Team K's victory overall, her woes were able to be forgotten, if only for a short time.

After being saved, Kirishima dusted himself off, gave Team K a sharp-toothed grin of approval, and the two teams were off. To their credit, they handled their loss like champions. Sero commended Jomei on being able to keep up with his tape-slinging, Kirishima praised Akiko's fast thinking, and no hard feelings were felt.

As a result, it became readily apparent that she'd lucked out in every sense of the word during the battle trials. Not only was she put on a team with her best friend, not only was she matched up against an opponent she could outsmart, but that same opponent held nothing against her for her victory. In fact, it seemed like Kirishima held a profound respect for Akiko beating him one-on-one. That said, Sero and Kirishima both had made it onto her list of people she need not fear out of Class 1-A.

Granted, that list seemed to be growing to include just about everyone, save for a select few, but she was making it nonetheless.

Not long after returning, All Might motioned the two pairs to his right, and the MVP ceremony was set to begin.

"Alright, now let's go over the standings thus far! The hero's side has won every match, but rest assured to whoever becomes the villains next, your fate is not a foregone conclusion! Remember, villainy can always make a comeback!" All Might lectured.

"Yes, sir!" Class 1-A responded.

"As for the MVP of this match?" He continued, hands on his hips as his students stared over at him, "I believe that honor should go to Takara."

Akiko jolted suddenly, her crystal core flaring a puzzled yellow. "Wait, what? I'm honored, sir, but personally I thought Jomei not getting captured by Sero was more impressive."

Class 1-A seemed to be in some degree of agreement. Yaoyorozu was the only one who seemed to have some idea of what was going on, though it took her a moment to realize.

"I believe that it must have been a close call between every participant," she began. "Ranking from comparative skill and stamina alone, it's very likely that the MVP ranking was tied between Nishimura and Sero. Nishimura exhibited superb flexibility under pressure and Sero excellent planning in advance to inhibit his opponents' progress. Additionally-"

"Aha, b-but! You're missing a critical detail!" All Might cut in. He was _not _about to be upstaged by his pupil again. "Yes, it's true that initially, the MVP was close between those two. That said, Takara displayed tremendous heroic spirit in saving her teammate from what would've very likely been his capture. In a real combat setting, Nishimura's momentary lapse in judgment of his opponent could've cost him much more than just a sparring match loss."

Tsuyu raised a hand high over her hunched posture. "But that doesn't explain why she was made MVP over her teammate, though."

All Might let out a frustrated noise and his fist tightened. Clearly, his dedication to trying to one-up his own pupil in analysis had blinded him to overlooking that minor detail.

Yaoyorozu was quick to pick up his slack, much to his chagrin. "It's got to do with comparative contributions. Sero also underestimated his opponent, so he's obviously out of the running – Kirishima, as well. While Nishimura's blasting through the villains' trap was pivotal in the success of Team K, it was also risky. It could've easily hit the weapon and jeopardized the entire mission. On the other hand, Takara exhibited a number of traits that made her a worthy candidate for MVP. Indeed, she did display a core tenant of heroism in watching her partner's back, but that's more of a prerequisite for becoming a pro."

She straightened up, looking more like a teacher than All Might himself as she turned to Takara. "No, if Ojiro was right, and Takara _was _holding back in some capacity, the amount of skill involved in incapacitating Kirishima _and _preventing him from pursuing her teammate without any harm coming to herself can't be understated. Saving her teammate is truly the metaphorical icing on the cake. Overall, she stayed on her toes and adapted perfectly to her situation – a truly commendable trait for a hero to possess in and out of combat."

Once again, the recommendation student left Class 1-A stunned. She'd upstaged All Might, _again, _and judging by the looks on Team K's faces, hit every nail right on the head. Jomei shrugged nonchalantly, and Akiko's crystal core blushed an embarrassed magenta at the observations.

All Might rubbed his eyes with the back of his arm, flippantly waving in Yaoyorozu's direction. "Yeah. Yeah, I was going to get there, too! Any objections? Final notes?" He began the process of pulling out his phone once more.

"Totally!" Ashido chimed in, ignoring their teacher's embarrassed state, "Takara!"

"Uh… yeah?" Akiko answered.

"You… were… totally awesome!" She exclaimed, exuberantly jumping in the air. In that single action, the awkward feeling in the room dissolved nigh-on instantly. "Seriously, you were dancing around him like it was _nothing_!" She continued, drawing everyone's attention as she attempted to reenact some of Akiko's moves.

"Everyone's going on about Akiko," Denki added. "But I'm pretty impressed with you, Jomei. I'm surprised no one else's jaw hit the floor with how you were moving around that tape-maze thing Sero had going on."

Jomei smiled. "Thanks, man."

"I'm just happy there's someone else at U.A who appreciates martial arts – it's been a dying trend since Quirks diversified how self-defense can be trained," Ojiro complimented.

The Tail user gave Akiko a respectful bow, and before long, praise and attention rolled in from many other members of Class 1-A. The collective eyes on her would normally have made her blush in a painfully nervous way, but this time, all that happened was her hands shyly working their way behind her back as she smiled at the floor. It wasn't often she got such positivity thrust upon her by her peers – ones she hadn't even known more than a day, at that.

"Ok!" All Might announced, "The time has arrived for our penultimate match to be decided!"

Another press of a button, another few seconds, and the randomization was complete.

"Team E! Team H! It's your time to shine! Aoyama, Ashido – clench your buttcheeks for your heroic performances! Tokoyami, Asui – take them down and show them what a _real _villain can do!" All Might roared with gusto.

"So loud…" Tokoyami complained as he skulked off. "No need for so much pomp and circumstance…"

Aoyama whipped his long, golden blond hair back as he watched him go. "Mon ami… you live in the shadow of greatness. Bask in it while you still can," he teased before strutting in pursuit.

Akiko turned to Ashido, who'd lagged behind as All Might and the rest of the class continued to the next observation room. "So… do you have any idea what's up with him?"

The girl's black sclera glinted mischievously, and she took a deep breath, leaning in as if to divulge some great secret…

"Nope!" She chirped, hopping back into an upright position before skipping gleefully after everyone else.

Akiko couldn't stop a confused smirk from appearing on her face. Class 1-A was quickly becoming one of the quirkiest groups of people she'd ever encountered, but she wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** An unexpectedly lengthy chapter, but one I still loved. For... obvious reasons. Akiko and Jomei get their first fight together and triumph, oorah! But you don't want me to monologue about my OC's, you want useless fun facts! Yes, Akiko is trained in martial arts – if you know Avatar, then you'll know a lot more about her Quirk (minus some features I'm not letting her have) from the start. And yeah, I maybe coulda omitted Midoriya's lil' into spiel, but I wanted to establish he's aware of Akiko's existence – going over his self-doubts was a good segue to do so :D**

**Oh, and one major thing I wanted to make sure you guys know concerning how it seems WFAF has no big original threads yet. I want you all to rest assured, as I **_**most certainly **_**have plans that make Jomei and Akiko more important without making them OC-inserts into the main plot. Even if they're side-characters compared to Midoriya, that doesn't mean other members of Class 1-A don't have their own awesome stories to tell. They may not be the chosen one, but they're still the heroes of their own stories.**

**PS: Made a minor change to Akiko's costume in Ch 5 – just figured I'd mention it since I'm getting a commission of her done! Or… already done and posted, depending on when this comes out. I intended on this chapter coming out on the third but… things happen. My apologies!**

_**Overall Teams Standings: **_**  
****A:**** Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco – **_**Battle 1 Winners**_**  
****B:**** Shoji Mezo & Todoroki Shoto – **_**Battle 2 Winners**_**  
****C:**** Mineta Minoru & Yaoyorozu Momo **_**– Battle 3 Losers**_**  
****D:**** Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya – **_**Battle 1 Losers**_**  
****E:**** Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga  
****F:**** Koda Koji & Sato Rikido  
****G:**** Jiro Kyoka & Kaminari Denki **_**– Battle 3 Winners**_**  
****H:**** Asui Tsuyu & Tokoyami Fumikage  
****I:**** Ojiro Mashirao & Hagakure Toru – **_**Battle 2 Losers**_**  
****J:**** Sero Hanta & Kirishima Eijiro – **_**Battle 4 Losers**_**  
****K:**** Nishimura Jomei & Takara Akiko – **_**Battle 4 Winners**_


	9. Battle Trials, Part 4

Fumikage Tokoyami was many things – but more than any other he was, at heart, a creature of the dark. He preferred low lighting, introspection, dark poetry, and a certain level of quiet that shouldn't be breached by anything other than a crisis. That last point was often trampled upon thanks to his idiosyncratic classmates, but it remained a firm part of who the raven-headed hero-in-training was.

Something he most definitely was _not _was a 'goth kid.'

People had labeled him that for years, and it was always incorrect. Goth kids, in his experience, were only going through phases and indulged in outright criminal amounts of loud music with nonsensical lyrics. He, on the other hand, wasn't going through a 'phase.' He had a genuine reason to appreciate darkness in every aspect of life, and as a result, he had grown to appreciate it wherever he could find it. Even if that ostracized him from his peers when he was found reading some horror novel or spoke in vague, poetic terms, he would live in the darkness all the same.

For that was where he'd be at his strongest, and where his goals would be achieved.

He might not be able to convince the layman with his lectures and stories that the darkness shouldn't be feared, but what he could most certainly do was make the darkness _his_. Make it a place where no one need fear what they couldn't see, because that was where the hero he wanted to become would dwell the most.

If he had his way, he'd be a vanguard of the night, and the only ones who would need to fear dark alleys would be the evildoers who lurked in the shadows. All Might knew it, and so too did he.

He'd have been tempted to say Takara did too, since she appeared to have more than an iota of culture in her body, but it was still too early to tell. That said, he'd treat her and every one of his colleagues with the due respect they deserved – at least, until they acted foolishly, and in that case, he'd rumble his displeasure and move on.

Which is exactly what he did when All Might decided to roar out commands that could've been spoken instead of belted right into his ears. Or, what passed for ears on his avian head.

And so here he found himself, stalking back and forth in the high-rise warhead room of Battle Building Epsilon, ruminating and reading further into details that no one else in Class 1-A seemed to take stock in.

Like his and his opponents' teams costumes, for instance. One would think a costume wouldn't matter in a fight, but in the society they lived in, a costume could be very telling – of someone's skills, practicality, _and _personality.

For instance, Team E's costumes bespoke a fondness for garish color and a flagrant disregard for any attempt at stealth or subtlety. Considering their costumes' wearers, however, it was exactly what their bubbly and flamboyant personalities – and Quirks – might have desired in a cosmetic trademark.

Aoyama's was the greater offender between the two teammates. Gaudy and glittering was what came to mind. It was all metallic lavender and golden armor adorned with the most ostentatious spherical shoulder pads, elbow-length vambraces, and knee-high boots ever devised. What made it even more horrendous was the golden Greek fret-like trim, and how it sparkled – somehow even more so than the armor pieces themselves and his gaudy, red-tinted, wing-shaped visor.

Presumably, that last component played some practical role, as did the crystalline blue circles on his shoulders, knees, and on the belt he was never seen without, but the result was still the same. Aoyama's costume was outright _criminally _showy.

And that wasn't even mentioning his cape.

Ashido's at least was marginally less offensive. The purple and turquoise bodysuit clung to her skin and although its camouflage pattern looked like a purple and turquoise paint bucket had puked on her, it at least didn't _sparkle._ The bodysuit itself ended just above her breasts, and above this, a sleeveless tan-colored waistcoat with white fur on its collar added at least _some _reprieve from the colorful assault. Other than that, she wore a simple plain white mask and plum violet boots with holes in their soles for her Quirk – her only support item as opposed to Aoyama's five.

All in all, her costume blended about as well with her pink skin and yellow horns as could be expected. If nothing else, it sold her as more of a hero than whatever kind of medieval knight-turned-fashionista Aoyama's portrayed.

Team H's costumes were far more practical _and _visually appealing, in his opinion.

Everything about Asui's was designed with a frog in mind, from the bright green turtleneck bodysuit to the green-tinted goggles to the webbed flippers, none of it was extraneous. It was form-fitting and may have possessed the odd buckle here and there around her chest and gloves that seemed to serve no purpose beyond style, but none of it was outright distracting. Even the black-and-yellow v-shaped pattern that ran down her costume avoided compromising its overall simple beauty by merely being a tasteful addition, rather than a garish afterthought. As a result, her costume was both visually striking and practical considering what he knew about her Quirk.

His was equally practical, if more simple design-wise. Most of his costume was hidden by an all-encompassing robe: black, but revealing a dark purple tint if scrutinized by light. It only stopped halfway down his shins, at his knee-high black boots. It may have hidden his dark t-shirt, wristbands, pants, and utility belt with a double pin buckle, but it wasn't without good reason.

And besides, in his opinion, it was the most pleasing costume out of the four soon-to-be combatants to look at. Even if everyone might disagree.

"Hey, Tokoyami? Are you okay?" Asui asked, causing Tokoyami to abruptly stop his stalking.

Bowing his head, he said, "Yes, indeed. My apologies for making you worry. I was simply ruminating on the matter of the battle to come."

Asui nodded, crouching into a froglike position. "That's okay. And, if you want, I think a good point to start planning would be to talk about their Quirks."

Tokoyami raised a brow. "Would it not be more prudent to task ourselves with analyzing our opponents' psyches for weak points?"

"I think we both know that Aoyama and Ashido are going to be easy to plan around. Ribbit."

Tokoyami blinked. She wasn't wrong.

_'So she's both practical and observant?'_

_**'Quite the catch, don't you think?'**_

He shook his head. "Then in that case, if I recall from Aizawa's test correctly, Aoyama possesses a glittering navel laser, and Ashido the ability to project acid of varying intensities from her skin. Am I correct?"

"Mhm. Their Quirks are pretty powerful, so we should probably try to work around how strong they could be if they actually hit us," Asui observed, taking one hand off the ground and to her lower lip in thought.

"Indeed," Tokoyami thought aloud, "Aoyama would be an unfavorable foe if he were to engage me head-on, so perhaps a surprise attack is a viable strategy. I imagine Ashido wouldn't be too much of an issue against my own Quirk."

_**'****Damn straight! Nothing's gonna take me down!'**_

"What _is_ your Quirk, anyway? Ribbit."

Tokoyami's robe shifted as he placed a hand over his chest. "I was about to ask you the same thing. Mine is Dark Shadow – a shadowy entity living within me that I can summon at will." His eyes closed as he began musing on the nature of his Quirk. "Some choose to interpret it as a manifestation of my subconscious, others see it as its own entity, and myself? I see it as a combination of both, for whatever it's worth to spout philosophy concerning a Quirk."

"Mine's pretty simple," Asui deadpanned, "It's called Frog. Lets me do whatever a frog can do."

The avian-headed fighter sighed. It wasn't exactly unexpected.

Even if it did make him seem foolish for monologuing about his own Quirk.

"Simplicity shall always possess its own merits. A suitable Quirk for a hero, Asui," Tokoyami nodded.

"Call me Tsu," the frog fighter corrected.

"I beg your pardon?" Tokoyami turned to fully face his teammate.

"Call me Tsu," she bluntly repeated.

"I heard you, but why? We've hardly known each other for long."

Asui – no, _Tsu_, tilted her head. "Well, I'm here to make friends! And we may not have known each other forever, but we're all trying to be heroes, ribbit. So… I like to think of a lot of Class 1-A as my friends already."

Tokoyami's brow furrowed. Out of all of the motivations he'd observed in his peers, the concept of attending U.A. and having one of those goals be to befriend others was a novel one. Tsu really was quickly distinguishing herself as a standout among the crowd of Class 1-A, it seemed.

"Very well then, Tsu." Tokoyami turned as his companion gave him a warm smile, "We should likely get back on the topic of strategy, then."

As he looked out the high, wall-spanning windows of their warhead's room, he noticed something that appealed to both his inner strategist _and _his affinity for the dramatic. The sun was by no means near setting, but it was at just the right angle that if the lights were shut off, the room would be cast into theatrical shadow. Everything beyond the warhead would be difficult to see, and it was exactly the kind of thing Team H could use to their advantage.

"Tsu, would you be against my killing the lights?" he asked.

"Nope. What did you have in mind?" She appeared beside him with her typical froglike posture.

The telltale signs of a smile appeared on his beak as he walked towards the light switch, and the door. "To start, all you need to do is take position in front of the weapon."

"And then?"

Tokoyami reached the switch. "Prepare for a swift and decisive victory."

And then there was darkness.

* * *

Ashido was idly kicking her feet against the railing she was sitting on when All Might boomed his latest command.

"Okay, prep time's over! Team E, Team H! Let's get a move on and start up our penultimate match! Ready? Begin!" He said.

"Alright! Let's tear these guys up!" She slid off the steel and onto her feet, "You ready, Aoyama?"

"Oui! But first, of course, glory shall lead the way, no?" He strutted confidently ahead of his pink-skinned teammate.

Ashido watched Aoyama leave her behind and was tempted to giggle. He was definitely one of the most unique personalities of Class 1-A she'd met so far, and some people found him annoying, but honestly? To her, he was just funny.

So instead of giggling, all she did as he disappeared inside the building was stick her tongue out at his back. It made her smile, and after adjusting her waistcoat one last time to make sure everything was in order, she began her pursuit.

Entering the battle building, she was unsurprised at how barren everything was. The building looked to be more deserted hallways and flooring than anything – there seemed to be a lack of rooms, even, from what was immediately apparent. The peculiarly empty nature of the area didn't seem to bother Aoyama though, as he was already halfway through the hallway when Ashido set foot inside.

She smiled. If now wasn't a time to let loose and try to have some fun with her Quirk, after years of being told 'no,' when was?

_'Sorry Mom, Dad! I know you guys always tell me this is a bad idea… but I'm planning on living it up here at U.A.!'_

She broke into a jog, grinning as the soles of her shoes let her acid seep onto the ground. It wasn't her most corrosive batch, so it wouldn't do much damage. Not all that good in a fight.

What it was good for though was sliding forward really fast.

She swiftly closed the distance between herself and her teammate, gliding across the ground as if she was skating and laying down more ahead of her by spraying the globby stuff out of her palm. Aoyama paid her no mind, but when she managed to get ahead of him, her bubbly inner self came shooting gleefully up to the surface.

"Hey, Aoyama! Surf's up!" She spun in the air with a giggle as she leaped off her acidic slide.

Unfortunately, that action also sent some of the acid flying into the air, and onto Aoyama's glittering purple cape.

Which, as it turns out, was _not _that acid-resistant.

Ashido pressed her palms together in apology as Aoyama stifled a scream at the three new holes in his costume. "Woops, my bad!"

"Non. It's fine…" Aoyama breathed.

His horned teammate couldn't suppress a snicker as she watched him stiffly begin walking again. "On the bright side, at least the support department has something to repair between now and our next lesson!" She cheerfully kept pace beside him.

She could almost hear gears turning as he glared at her, his eyes obscured by his visor.

Ashido pouted. "What? The other classes need stuff to do too!" She promptly hopped in front of her teammate. "Anyway… how about this? You keep a lookout for the bad guys while I go do some searching ahead? I think I saw some doors a little way up."

Aoyama sighed, and his eyes became visible once more. His session of indignation was over, thankfully.

"I believe I was about to suggest the very same thing! Such is the life of a leader – to overcome tragic losses and lead those around them forward!" He dramatically posed, waving his teammate forward as another arm adjusted his visor.

Ashido snickered again but started jogging ahead towards the only doors in sight. _'Life of a leader, huh? Honey, I think you need to work a few things out first. Like, 'tragic losses,' seriously? It's a cape.'_

She opened one door, acid ready in one hand, but found only an empty room and a few boxes. The room on the immediate opposite of the hallway bore no fruit in her search for the villains, either.

"Oh, subordonné! Have you found anything?" Aoyama asked, slowly catching up.

The glob of acid in her hand fell to the floor, forgotten. "Nope, nothing! Guess we've got to keep searching, huh?"

"Indeed! We're quite the observant duo, aren't we?" He posed with a conspiratorial smile.

Ashido rolled her eyes. He was good for some entertainment, if nothing else.

"Sure," she agreed, "But there's no time to waste. Let's move!"

And so began Team E's search through the towering office building that was their battleground. Ashido did most of the legwork, checking out the sparse rooms as they ascended floor after floor, while Aoyama did his best runway model impression down each hallway.

Eventually, the duo arrived at the top floor of the tower. Seeing as they'd checked every other room aside from the one at the end of the hall, it was clear to Ashido that they were finally going to begin their battle in earnest. She slid up beside the door silently, motioning Aoyama to follow.

"Aoyama," she whispered, "somehow I know deep down that this door's going to be blocked, for sure. I'm going to burn through it with my Quirk, okay?"

A finger wagged disapprovingly in front of her. "Non, non! There's no need for such a brutish entry, my friend," he said, wrapping a hand around the knob and entering the room with zero resistance.

It took Ashido a few seconds to register what'd just happened, but she quickly followed suit. Soon, both members of Team E found themselves a few meters inside of the final room, barren as the rest save for two things.

One, the warhead, which was silhouetted by the sun streaming in from the window behind it.

And two, the equally shadowy form of Tsuyu. She was crouched down right in front of the warhead, but the lack of light around the normally friendly-looking frog girl gave her a downright creepy look.

"You really shouldn't have come here, ribbit."

Aoyama sighed. "Such dreadful lighting and treacherous threats! Truly, you outdo yourselves to try and impede on my radiant glory!"

Ashido's eyes narrowed. Something here didn't feel right. Unfortunately, she noticed the distinct _click_ of the door shutting behind them too late.

"Uh, Aoyama, maybe we should start the fight up while we still have time," she said.

"Hm? Oh, but of course! As heroes, we must shine above all villains!" He pointed emphatically in Tsu's direction. Placing his hands behind his head, a confident smirk formed on his face as he prepared to use his Quirk. "Now prepare, for the Art of Seductio-"

A shadowy fist crushed Aoyama before he could finish, and Ashido let out a yelp as she leaped to the side. What she saw was nothing short of unsettling.

Whatever _it _was, Aoyama's assailant was a shadowy being connected to a silent Tokoyami through some ethereal umbilical cord. Its body expanded into a torso and large, thick arms beneath a birdlike head not unlike Tokoyami's, but with big, glowing yellow eyes in place of its owner's human ones.

It would've looked cute, or docile, if it wasn't for the fact its 'skin' writhed with darkness like a static TV screen. That, and the fact it was pulling Aoyama over its shoulder like he weighed nothing.

**"Seriously? **_**This **_**is what we had to put up with? I thought I was going to have fun…" **It whined, looking back at Tokoyami.

"Dark Shadow, tame yourself! Now is not the time for ego," Tokoyami chided.

Ashido's jaw dropped, and she took another step back. "It _talks?_ Your Quirk _talks?_" She gathered a glob of her most corrosive acid in her hand.

This was bad. Aoyama was unconscious without even being able to fire a single shot, and she had to deal with a shadowy bird-thing in a creepily dark room. Great.

She was only going to have one shot at this.

**"And you're really observant. Congrats!"** It said, sounding bored.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouted.

**"What?"**

"Sorry for this!" Ashido shouted, tossing her deadly ball.

"Defend yourself!" Tokoyami ordered.

Dark Shadow raised its free arm without hesitation, and the acid hissed as it connected with the Quirk's unfathomable flesh. Though it seemed to do no damage, Ashido was winding up another fast pitch with her other hand when another voice rang out from behind.

"Don't forget about me!" Tsu shot her long tongue out. It stretched, closing the distance before Ashido could even think to dodge. The appendage wrapped around her and pulled her back with inhuman force, and her acidic attack fell harmlessly to the ground.

She skidded along the ground to land in a slobbery heap in front of a smiling Tsuyu. Unless she wanted to burn out her classmate's tongue, she was out of the fight too. Team E was done for, and the battle had hardly even begun.

Dark Shadow had set Aoyama on the ground after Tokoyami tied capture tape around his unconscious form, and the birdman himself stepped forward. Tsuyu began wrapping her own length of tape around one of Ashido's horns.

"I applaud you for your valiant efforts, but darkness will reign supreme over foolish behavior," Tokoyami explained.

**"Yeah, we're gonna cast a shadow on **_**all **_**the crime out there!"**Dark Shadow crossed his arms as he leaned his hovering body against his owner.

Tsu withdrew her tongue from around Ashido and rose to her feet. Her finger made its way to her lip again. "Wow, you're really in-character for this villain thing, Tokoyami."

"What character?" he asked.

"Erh-" All Might's confused voice joined in, "I uh… I guess that's the fifth match then! Huh. _The villains win!_"

Thankfully, no one in Class 1-A would leave U.A. that day with hearing loss.

* * *

The fifth battle trial had concluded, and Akiko was left feeling… underwhelmed. Granted, she wasn't the most heavily invested person in Class 1-A when it came to spectating battle, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate them. They allowed her to see how creative other people were with their Quirks, their strategy, their personality manifesting somewhat in their actions.

And, although that lattermost point was most certainly exhibited in the fifth battle, that didn't mean it always made a better viewing experience.

Team H's strategy was effective and even somewhat exciting, but after witnessing Midoriya and Todoroki's explosive power, her friends' strategy against Yaoyorozu, and her own endeavors, Team E being defeated so quickly was rather jarring. That said, both teams still had an impressive group of Quirks from what she saw, Aoyama's instant elimination notwithstanding. If nothing else, his loss propped up just how powerful Tokoyami's Quirk was in comparison.

Akiko would never say that out loud though, since it looked like Aoyama was just barely managing to keep his pursed-lip smile plastered on his face. He likely felt humiliated, and in this case, she didn't have a clue where to start if she wanted to help console him.

Or if he even wanted sympathy, for that matter. Aoyama was an… interesting person.

Ashido was a different story. She may have only been self-proclaimed friends with Akiko for a grand two days at this point, but Akiko felt at least some obligation to see how she was handling things.

Which wasn't easy to do from a distance, considering how her neutral expression betrayed no hint of how the loss had affected her.

"Now I don't believe anyone will debate my decision for the MVP of this match. And Yaoyorozu?" All Might pointed at the recommendation student.

"Yes, sir?" she responded.

"I think I've got this one, so you can rest easy. Understood?"

"Of course." Yaoyorozu nodded.

Akiko had to fight the urge to smile. She had no doubt of All Might's heroic integrity as her idol, but his trying to keep from being upstaged by Yaoyorozu was, admittedly, kind of amusing.

Even if she wouldn't be caught dead admitting it to anyone.

"The MVP of battle five is none other than… Tokoyami Fumikage!" All Might gestured with both his arms in a sort of 'lookie here' sort of way. "I think all of us can admire the amount of forethought and level-headedness you exhibited during your battle trial. Couple that with your confidence and raw strength, and you have the makings of a standout pro."

Tokoyami bowed his head and closed his eyes as Class 1-A gave him a round of applause. "You honor me with your words, sir. Thank you."

As was the unspoken procedure after the ceremony was over, the two teams dispersed and rejoined the greater group of their peers. Compliments and praise fluttered around the observation room, with most of the attention centered around Tsuyu and Tokoyami, for obvious reasons. Aoyama, meanwhile, was doing his best to sell his unexpected loss as an intentional one. Even if he wasn't fooling a single soul, it couldn't be said that he wasn't trying to turn his loss into something positive.

Ashido was the last to wander back towards the rest of the class, running fingers through the back of her fluffy, unruly pink hair in some exasperated display.

_'Maybe she's just hiding how she's feeling…?'_ Akiko guessed. "Hey, Ashido?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that um, I think you did really well, all things considered," Akiko consoled. "Against Tokoyami and Tsu and all that, I can't imagine how I would've handled that situation, myself."

Ashido just stared in such an inscrutable way that Akiko thought she'd made some mistake. She was about to apologize when she realized she'd just gotten everything wrong.

After a few moments, Ashido began to _laugh_. It wasn't a scornful one, or an awkward one, but just a simple, warm chuckle.

"Ah, no need to worry about me, Takara!" Ashido waved off. "It's a real bummer about losing and all, but I'm just gonna come back and kick butt next time!"

It was at that moment that Akiko realized – she really did need to work on reading people.

"Oh, uh, okay! Still, I think you did great!"

Ashido smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Well thanks for the vote of confidence! Maybe you can show me some moves whenever we have our next class?"

"Um… sure? If you really want," Akiko agreed. "I just don't know how well martial arts will transition over to… Acid…"

"Huh, I guess you're right, but still!" Ashido hopped in place. "I can't wait until next class!"

Without missing a beat, the girl with blood comprised of pure sugar and rainbows was off, and Akiko was left somehow more confused than when she started. First Ashido seems unnaturally subdued, then she suddenly has enough energy to make a kindergartner seem tame by comparison.

That said, once she turned around and saw the amused, knowing look on Jomei's face, it was clear that he was fully aware of the conversation that'd just transpired.

However awkward it may have been for her, she knew that look was another way of saying he was glad she was socializing on her own. Even if that meant misstepping and misinterpreting people's moods sometimes, it really _was _the only way she'd grow.

There was also something else on his face that she couldn't quite discern, what with how he was looking around at everyone who'd been crowned MVP thus far. Even if she had stumbled regarding Ashido, she was confident in thinking something was going on in her best friend's head right about now.

"Hey, Jomei?"

He turned. "Yeah? And before you ask, no, I'm not explaining Ashido to you because even _I'm _still trying to work out what everyone's deals are."

Akiko shook her head. "No, that wasn't what I was going to ask about. I was just wondering if _you're _okay. You're looking around all the MVP's like they're rivals or something."

Jomei hummed. "I mean… yeah, I'm okay. It's just that I'm really impressed by everyone so far. My brain's running a mile a minute thinking about how everyone's been fighting, and I feel like I need to go even further beyond – more than ever before, now – in order to stand out."

She pursed her lips and shrugged. "Well if it's any consolation, your Quirk does seem to be built for that, you know?"

"Don't I know it," Jomei smiled.

"And Denki really likes how you fight – so you have that going for you. Maybe Kyoka does too, but she…" Akiko trailed off.

"Isn't the enthusiastic type, yeah. I think you're right that she might, too, but I'm just saying that fame isn't something you stumble into. I've just gotta keep trying, you know?" Jomei shrugged.

For all intents and purposes, he really did seem unbothered by his comparative lack of recognition, so Akiko didn't press the issue. Besides, he did have a point. His father may have been a minor celebrity, but it didn't mean that even that mid-level of fame wasn't something he had to fight tooth and nail for. He may not have been _literally _fighting, like Present Mic, but it was a battle all the same.

If Jomei wanted fame like his father, it was going to be an uphill battle. Akiko couldn't judge him for thinking so much about his peers and how he'd measure up when they became pros. They'd all be vying for attention, then.

The period of congratulations wound back down into silence, and All Might stood tall and proud, eager for his next announcement.

"Now I know this is the moment you've all been waiting for! Team F!" He looked at Sato and Koda. "Are you ready to fight as the heroes of Battle Building Zeta?!"

Despite the energy their teacher radiated, both of the hulking students shared a confused look, and surprisingly, it was only now that anyone seemed to really notice their costumes. Both were remarkably simple.

Sato's consisted entirely of a yellow full-body suit with white gloves and boots, his only accessory the utility belt that stored the sugar to activate his Quirk. The spiky-haired brunette was rather open about his Quirk, Sugar Rush, with word on the grapevine elaborating that for every ten grams of sugar he ate, his strength would grow three times. Every ten grams thereafter adds ten minutes to the boost, but on the downside, his cognitive abilities would slowly decline, leading to him being rather sleepy afterward.

Koda's costume, on the other hand, was a tight yellow suit only reaching his elbows and knees, with a red mark on his torso and a logo resembling an open mouth located there at the same time. Contrary to his massive appearance, he was rather soft-spoken, which was surprising given his Quirk, Anivoice, let him speak to animals. If nothing else, it was a testament to his gentle and kind-hearted nature.

It reminded Akiko of herself. A bulky, male, sign-languaging version of herself, but still.

"Uhh… hey teach, I know I'm not a recommended student or anything, but…" Sato began.

"Who's going to be their opponent?" Tsuyu's question finished Sato's thought. "All the rest of the teams have already gone."

Iida appeared beside her, raising his hand. "Is it possible you'll be utilizing the old pool of teams to be reused in this instance? If this is the case, I have my own reservations about such a method, as it may very well be giving one team an unfair do-over of sorts."

All Might's smile didn't shrink, and in fact, it even grew wider.

He wagged a finger and his posture straightened confidently. "Aha! You think this didn't occur to me, young Iida? I planned around this eventuality, of course!"

Koda's hands moved in the air in sign language, observing that All Might's 'answer' clarified very little.

"Who is it?" All Might continued. "Why look behind you, he's arrived just now!"

The creaking of the door should've been a warning. "You truly have no sense of logic, do you, All Might? You wake me up from my nap just to have me help out with _my _class?"

No one in Class 1-A needed to turn around to know who had spoken, but they all did anyway. Akiko's heart dropped, and she was sure hers wasn't the only one.

"Well? Who'd you wake me up to fight?" Aizawa asked.

Koda began flailing something unintelligible with his hands, and Sato took a step back. "Whoa whoa whoa! You've gotta be kidding me! You're putting us against _Aizawa-sensei?_ He's a pro!"

All Might placed a hand on Sato's shoulder. "Oh, don't you worry!" He laughed. "Aizawa will be taking it easy on you… right?"

"Right!?" Sato exclaimed.

Aizawa sighed and turned around. "Sure. Let's get a move on – I want to get back to my nap before I have another class."

In the end, Aizawa was true to his word, and indeed did give Team F a fighting chance, which they made the most out of, but still…

* * *

It was a slaughter.

In the final battle trial of the day, Aizawa and Team F taught the class quite a few lessons. The most important of those being just how wide the gap between the pros and themselves really was. No one in Class 1-A was delusional enough to think they were anywhere near the level of their teachers, having just started their first year at U.A., but Aizawa's performance was something else.

Even lazily standing around against two of the buffest members of their class, he was able to dip, duck, and sidestep nearly any attack or strategy Team F could muster – never once using his Quirk. The only time he even touched his capture scarves was when Koda, what with the lack of animals nearby, used Sato's assault against their opponent to try and capture the weapon. Aizawa incapacitated him without even needing to look at Sato to avoid his flurry of fists.

At that point, all that was left was waiting for Sato's strength amplification to run out and everything fell apart for Team F. Koda was already out of action, and as Sato's Quirk faded into drowsiness, Aizawa didn't even need to attack the hero-in-training to tie him down.

In the span of twelve minutes, Aizawa had _dismantled _Team F, and the scariest thing was that he hadn't even broken a sweat. If Jomei hadn't known better, he would've assumed Aizawa's Quirk was some kind of precognition rather than Erasure.

Needless to say, no MVP ceremony was conducted, and Aizawa had disappeared the moment the battle trial had ended – presumably to find somewhere comfortable to collapse into his sleeping bag. Instead of any half-hearted compliments or willful misinterpretation of how badly the pair had performed, All Might had provided the duo with advice on how to better handle being outmatched in the future. It was perhaps the first time since All Might made his initial introduction to Class 1-A that Jomei felt like his teacher knew what he was doing.

Shortly thereafter, after congratulating everyone on a job well done and the minimal amount of serious injuries, All Might was off. With how quickly he rocketed away, he made even Iida's speed seem like child's play, but that wasn't a surprise. He was the number one hero and the Symbol of Peace for a reason, after all.

That'd been a few hours ago, and Class 1-A finished the rest of its day in a barely-withheld state of excitement – both over their first in-costume outing and their soon-to-arrive battle trial results. While the upcoming study hall was technically an optional one, allowing everyone to compare notes on their battle trials, no one seemed to be in a rush to go home.

Seeing as Akiko was currently out with Kyoka getting the files they needed for the study hall to begin, and he wasn't about to leave his best friend behind, Jomei was no exception to this rule.

Even if he did have his own plans for when he got home.

Looking up from the notes for English that Akiko had been generous enough to let him copy, he checked on what was going on in the classroom. Not much had changed since the last time he returned to reality, all things considered.

The two recommendation students were carrying on their own discussion about everyone's performance before the results came in, Tokoyami was alone sitting on his desk, and Ashido was grilling him on revealing the details of his Quirk. Earlier Denki had attempted to flirt with Yaoyorozu, but had floundered brutally the moment he couldn't keep up with her superb analytical skills in conversation.

Since then, the lightning wielder had returned to his seat, and Jomei's attention fell onto the green-haired hero of the first battle trial. Jomei had his own slew of compliments to give Midoriya, but there was just one thing that prevented him from coming out and saying them.

Half the class was fawning over Midoriya and showering him with praise. Jomei knew it was coming – Midoriya's match had set the tone of the battle trials – but still, he wasn't about to pretend he wasn't slightly jealous.

Whereas Midoriya had most of the class busy flustering him with attention Jomei was sure he wasn't used to receiving, his own debut had only wound up with a handful of people noticing him afterward.

He wasn't jealous of people getting credit where credit was due, he was happy that Akiko got the recognition she deserved for watching his back, but this wasn't what he envisioned his first fight's aftermath looking like. Even the two people that sought him out to compliment him after hero studies, Sero and Kirishima, were currently in the middle of the group surrounding Midoriya.

As a result, with Akiko gone and everyone else doing their own thing, Jomei was left alone with his thoughts. Ordinarily, that would've been fine, but not when his thoughts consisted of his subconscious yelling at him that his performance was nothing but inadequate. Logic told him that he was setting the bar too high for himself, but emotion ruled supreme where matters of self-esteem were concerned. Years of knowing Akiko had taught him that much.

At least Bakugo was staying quiet. Even if his silence was a surprise with Midoriya and the legion of friendly faces behind him, it was at least one good thing that came out of the battle trials.

"You know, for someone who's such a cool guy, you really look better without the pouting."

Jomei turned to face the familiar voice. "Hey, Denki," he greeted, schooling his features into a neutral expression.

Denki lounged on the desk in front of him, feet on the chair. "Seriously, though. What's with the long face? Not enough fame for ya?"

"Something like that," Jomei sighed. "I'll get over it."

"Get over what? Expecting to be as popular as Midoriya in one class? You've got nothing to worry about, man. Midoriya may have been the highlight of the battle trials, but I meant what I said before. You were pretty awesome fighting Sero." He pointed at Jomei. "So lighten up, mister rave guy! We've got the whole year to look forward to!"

Jomei straightened up before reclining a little in his seat with a smirk. "Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, it's not like the ladies are all over you yet, huh?"

Denki feigned being hurt, a hand over his heart. "Man, that's cold. Give me some time, and I'll show you just what magic I can do."

"I don't know. Right now you're two for two failed flirts."

Denki shook his head accusingly. "Only _one!_ Yaoyorozu may have turned me down, but I'm still counting Kyoka as a win!"

A snicker was the only response he received. Denki may want to convince himself that friendship was the same as his flirting not failing, but Jomei knew better. Or maybe he didn't, considering his whopping zero experience in the dating world. Hell, maybe Denki was more qualified to speak about the matter than he was?

...No. No he was not.

"Kaminari!" Iida shouted, maneuvering hastily through the desks. It was funny how much of a stickler for the rules he was. "Stop using that desk as a chair! Get off of it this instant!"

Jomei's smile only grew wider. "Iida, calm down, buddy. What's wrong with hanging out when the day's basically over?"

"Yeah, you're looking a little tense there," Denki agreed. "Relax! Live a little!"

Iida seemed to deflate for a moment before his posture stiffened up even further than before. "No one understands… I cannot condone actions that disrespect this institution's facilities! Not when great men and women, Pro Heroes out in the field right now, have once used them!"

The group near Midoriya was staring at Iida now, looking somewhere in between amused and confused. But before anyone could say anything more, the door opened and the bell signaling the optional study hall's start rang. Akiko and Kyoka had returned with the prerequisite papers in tow, and the long-time friends shared a friendly wave as the girls began handing out papers.

Seeing as they were going by desk, and his was at the back of the class, Jomei relaxed in his seat. It had been an energetic day, but not quite a tiring one, all things considered. He could feel his arms buzz with the lasting thrill of unleashing his Quirk, but he still felt energized enough to take on the world.

On a whim, he looked back over to Midoriya. He was just receiving his papers from Akiko, holding her hostage with a flurry of questions about her Quirk that he only got a handful of answers to. Thankfully, he noticed the taken aback look on Akiko's face and cut off his assault, thanking her for her time.

Midoriya then glanced around and his eyes halted on an empty desk. Brow furrowed, Jomei followed his gaze and realized what had arrested Midoriya's attention.

Bakugo was missing.

His papers had been left unattended on his desk, suggesting he'd left in a hurry right as the bell rang, and when no one was looking.

This in of itself wouldn't have been all that concerning – in fact, it was a blessing – but what baffled Jomei was the fact that Midoriya quickly left too after noticing Bakugo's absence.

Now, he knew he was making assumptions, but given everything that Jomei had witnessed between the two of them, the idea that the two had some kind of history together made sense. Had Midoriya gone in pursuit of Bakugo?

Jomei knew he could've stayed out of it, but he wanted answers.

Akiko was on her way to their desks with two stacks of papers undoubtedly meant for them, when Jomei stood.

"Hey, I want to go ask Midoriya something alone, is that okay?"

Akiko adjusted their papers in her hands. "Oh, sure." She slid his results onto his desk. "I'll fill you in on anything important you miss."

At that moment, Ashido popped up out of nowhere. How someone with bright pink skin could escape his notice was beyond him.

"And don't you worry! She won't be bored while you're gone – I have a _bunch _to ask little miss kicks-butt over here," Ashido said.

Akiko sighed and glanced at him. "We'll walk out together later?"

Jomei nodded. "Yeah, of course. Be back soon." He left his blazer on his seat and headed out.

The walk through the halls of U.A. felt abnormally long. The bell had rung only a few minutes ago, and already the campus seemed devoid of life. The absence of the din Jomei was already becoming accustomed to made the whole journey feel… hollow. Lonely.

The isolation sapped away at what energy Denki's positivity had given him. And the more he thought, the more befuddling Midoriya's decision to pursue Bakugo seemed.

Was it some kind of sick perversion of Stockholm syndrome? Bakugo was Midoriya's bully, that much was clear, but if that was the case, what made Midoriya go after him? Was he trying to help him in some way?

If that was the case, Jomei doubted Midoriya would make much difference. Bakugo was too much of a jerk and a brat to realize how much of a bastard he was. It seemed clear Bakugo had shut himself off from the rest of his U.A. classmates long before he'd ever even arrived at the school, and so, Midoriya wasn't going to be able to change that.

But Midoriya wasn't stupid. So what was he missing?

The hallways gave way to the entrance of U.A., the orange glow of the afternoon sun flowing through the windows. It should've been comforting, but the lack of activity lent an eerie ambiance to the halls.

Jomei pushed the door open. He would've squinted to adjust to the sun facing him, but his Quirk taught his eyes well not to mind sudden changes in brightness. The area towards the security gate was as barren as the halls before them, save for three people.

Stalking off campus was Bakugo, and behind the security gate sat Midoriya. Clearly Jomei had missed whatever conversation had gone on between them, but that wasn't the most noteworthy thing he saw.

No, that was All Might's presence next to Midoriya. Granted, it wasn't odd enough to qualify as bizarre, but it was still an unexpected sight to behold.

As he approached the duo, he overheard the tail end of some other discussion he wasn't privy to.

"Come now, my boy! Why don't you tell me all the juicy details?" All Might asked.

Midoriya faced All Might and scratched the back of his head. "Oh! Um, I actually… forgot?" He then saw Jomei headed towards them.

All Might straightened with a start. "Nishimura! What brings you here so early? Done going over your results already?"

"No, not really. I just wanted to talk to Midoriya," he explained. "But what're you doing here, All Might? Didn't you say you had paperwork to do or something?"

"Well… yeah, but! I wanted to check up on Midoriya again! Isn't that right?"

"Y-yeah! Right. He was just checking up on my arm and all," Midoriya agreed.

Jomei shrugged. He really didn't have the energy or the inclination to investigate further.

"Now, if that's everything, I'll have to be off! There's a stack of door replacement forms with my name on it!" All Might declared, dashing off with inhuman speed back inside.

Which left the two students to their own devices.

"So… you said you wanted to talk to me?" Midoriya confusedly asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's about Bakugo."

"Kacchan? What about him?" He followed Jomei's line of sight to the Explosion user in the distance.

"I noticed you went after Bakugo and I thought something might be wrong with how fast you left." Jomei raised a hand before Midoriya could interrupt. "And before you say anything, hear me out. He's been nothing but an ass to everyone the entire time he's been around, myself included, so when I see you run after him, I'm left wondering… why? I just… I don't get it."

Midoriya took a few moments to gather his thoughts. Jomei had a point, and they both knew it.

And yet…

"Kacchan isn't as bad as you think he is."

Jomei stared. "Then you're seeing something I can't."

"We were friends."

"What?"

Midoriya stared after Bakugo. "Before we had our Quirks. We were… friends. Kacchan's always been really talented, but once he got his Quirk… things changed. He always thought he was the best, but when we got our Quirks, I guess the fact he had such a powerful one got to him. Even though he acts like this now, I still know him better than anybody, and when he left… I had to go after him."

He turned to face Jomei. "Losing the battle trials, and seeing what everyone else could do… it crushed him."

Jomei gave Midoriya a look.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… beneath everything, Kacchan can still be a good person. I have to believe that, you know? And I couldn't just leave him alone, after everything."

So _that _was what he was missing. The elusive element to the pair's dynamic that he hadn't even thought to consider as a possibility.

Looking at Bakugo in the distance, it was hard to say Jomei could feel good about what he saw. He didn't see the brazen, sandy-haired asshole that'd made an enemy out of him, nor did he see the fire that usually burned in how he carried himself. He was hunched over. Drained. Empty.

No matter how much he may have disliked Bakugo and wished for his defeat… he couldn't feel any satisfaction from looking at a broken man.

But nor could he believe Midoriya so quickly that Bakugo wasn't all bad.

"Nishimura?"

Jomei turned around. "People like him don't change in a single day, Midoriya. Maybe you're right, and he'll redeem himself someday, but actions speak louder than words." He paused. "I'm not going to spend any more time worrying about him so long as he doesn't give me a reason to. I'll be open to whatever happens next, but don't expect me to just forget everything he's said and done."

A wordless nod was all he received, and Jomei started back inside.

It was the best compromise, really, and it made the most out of Akiko's advice to distance himself from the source of his irritation. It was a long day, and replete with no small amount of mentally taxing thoughts towards its end, and the last thing Jomei wanted to do was spend the rest of it brooding over Bakugo. To spend the rest of his _year _brooding over Bakugo.

And as much as he hated to admit it… they had one thing in common.

The battle trials had raised the bar for both of them.

* * *

**Authors Note:** **HOOOLY BUTTS. Talk about a wild ride! I started out this chapter thinking that it was going to be whimsical with some seriousness towards the end but **_**god. DANG. **_**That final scene wrote itself, even if it was so much shorter than I expected it would be. I fully expected **_**pages **_**of sweet expositional goodness, but sometimes less proves to be more.**

**As for the battle trials arc itself? It was **_**so **_**fun to stretch my author's legs and dip my toes in the world of combat. And introducing everyone, of course, but still! I hope my rendition of the minutiae of battle (no pun intended) was good enough for ya, and I hope you stick around for more, because we're just getting started! Clench your buttcheeks kids, because we're gonna have some original stuff going on next chapter!**

**Let's just hope I can deliver on it well, eh? XD**

**PS:**** Keep an eye out on my social media (shameless plugs in profile), by the way! My second commission for WFAF, Jomei, should be up by the time this chapter goes live! If not, it'll be the day after. In either case, I implore you to take a look at it - since it turned out amazing - and its artist, Gwiinshin. The guy blows my expectations out of the water every time I commission him!**

_**Overall Teams Standings (FINAL):  
**_**A:**** Midoriya Izuku and Uraraka Ochaco – **_**Battle 1 Winners  
**_**B:**** Shoji Mezo & Todoroki Shoto – **_**Battle 2 Winners  
**_**C:**** Mineta Minoru & Yaoyorozu Momo **_**– Battle 3 Losers  
**_**D:**** Bakugo Katsuki & Iida Tenya – **_**Battle 1 Losers  
**_**E:**** Ashido Mina & Aoyama Yuga – **_**Battle 5 Losers  
**_**F:**** Koda Koji & Sato Rikido – **_**'Battle' 6 Losers  
**_**G:**** Jiro Kyoka & Kaminari Denki **_**– Battle 3 Winners  
**_**H:**** Asui Tsuyu & Tokoyami Fumikage – **_**Battle 5 Winners  
**_**I:**** Ojiro Mashirao & Hagakure Toru – **_**Battle 2 Losers  
**_**J:**** Sero Hanta & Kirishima Eijiro – **_**Battle 4 Losers  
**_**K:**** Nishimura Jomei & Takara Akiko – **_**Battle 4 Winners**_


	10. Motherly Advice

In retrospect, it was almost surreal how far Ayane had come.

When she was younger, she'd never imagined leading the life she'd lived so far. She had no shame admitting that in her teenage years, she was something of a rebellious girl. She never went as far as to do anything overtly illegal, but escaping her parents' line of sight for even a fleeting moment alone with some girlfriend or boyfriend she'd invited over always thrilled her.

Which made it all the more incredible that she ended up choosing to become a cop.

Granted, this choice hadn't spawned from thin air, but all it took was one life-endangering situation for her rebellious streak to rapidly fall by the wayside. Heroes had been a part of the landscape her entire life and she had met quite a few on their patrols or by observing their fights from afar. Never before had the living icons of the law really inspired her, though. Her Quirk just wasn't capable of combat, so they were just that one layer removed from the everyman she felt she could better relate to.

One absent-minded turn down an alleyway that turned into an attempted robbery changed everything though. When she didn't cave in to her assailants' demands and the inevitable beatdown came, it almost became a murder, too.

And then her hero showed up.

White cape billowing behind her, yellow gloves glinting in the low light, she struck with an inhuman force Ayane had never seen before in anyone besides All Might. The hero's bright smile never wavered during that fight, even as stone and steel hurtled at her, and it was an image that was seared into Ayane's memory from that point on.

Ayane's Quirk may not have been good at anything besides inflating balloons, but even if her noble gases couldn't aid her, she owed it to her hero, who had left without even giving a name, to improve herself. From that moment on, she'd clamped down on her rebellious behavior and started on the track to becoming a police officer.

Making up for slacking off on schoolwork and her lackluster reputation was a challenge and a half, but she rose to the occasion and became the closest thing to a Pro Hero she could be with what little power she had. And for a time, she was truly content. She thought that she'd found her lot in life, making her parents proud and living in a cozy apartment, all while protecting people from what incidents heroes weren't there to solve.

And then her life changed again.

She met Haruto on the job, fledgling musical artist that he was at the time, and eventually found happiness with him after years of abstinence from the relationships she'd once openly indulged in. Her sense of duty balanced his youthful recklessness, his optimism uplifted her realism, and experimentation with their Quirks led to the bright gaseous displays that became a staple of Haruto's performances.

Despite differing lifestyles and responsibilities, their opposing traits led to love, and then marriage…

And then the recontextualization of every right decision she'd made in her life as _fate _when she found out she was going to be a mother.

On the day her baby was born, she knew one thing in her life would never change. Jomei Nishimura would be her son forever, and she'd strive to be not just a hero to the people, but to the tiny bundle of joy she held in her arms as well.

Closing in on sixteen years later, her son was well on his way to becoming a Pro Hero. And who knew? Perhaps his actions would perpetuate the cycle, and another young person would have their life changed by a hero saving them.

It could've been nostalgia, but Ayane thought that life was fundamentally good. Great, even, if one had the will to tackle any problem head-on.

That said… there were some problems that willpower just couldn't overcome.

Like being crippled.

She didn't regret the day it happened. Heroes may have been the ones who typically handled drug busts and giant villains on rampages, but that didn't mean the police had no involvement in these events. Someone had to arrest the villains, provide support, intelligence, planning, and so much more. In her case, her role that day turned out to be saving her colleague's life.

It was during a drug bust that things went awry. To begin with, the Quirk-enhancing drug the task force had been assembled to destroy wasn't just for show. Every member of the gang utilized it in the defense of their warehouse, and it wasn't uncommon to see some members' Quirks going dangerously out of control when they overdosed.

In the mayhem, a spike-shooting Quirk user overdosed, and Ayane, with the memory of her own hero in her mind, didn't think twice before throwing her own body between the villain and one of her squadmates.

The spike pierced her spine in an agony of crunching bone. She would never walk again.

Granted, life wasn't _easy_ without the use of her legs, but she stayed involved in law enforcement regardless. Perhaps she wasn't patrolling the streets, but she still found value in taking on behind-the-scenes jobs society often overlooked. The role that she chose to fill most often nowadays was that of a police dispatcher – which had its own fair share of harrowing and rewarding moments depending on the call.

Thus, despite all of life's ups and downs, the world kept turning, life went on, and Ayane found herself on the way home one day after an uneventful day at work. Evidently, villains didn't feel like causing too much mass hysteria today, which left her somewhere between confused and bored to tears.

"Nishimura, we're almost there."

Ayane faced her colleague. If there was one thing she could count on, it was someone from the station always being willing to drive her to and from work. It had been irritating at first, but she'd grown accustomed to it.

In fact, some of the best men she'd ever met were officers of the law. The man next to her was one such case. Tsukauchi Naomasa, aka 'True Man.' Wielder of the Quirk "Human Lie Detector" and perhaps the most plain-looking man she'd ever seen. Tall, with short, black hair, and somewhat-rectangular black eyes.

It would've been easy for him to use his Quirk for nefarious purposes or let its usage in interrogations get to his head, but in reality, he was one of the best and most moral detectives she'd ever known.

"Thank you, Tsukauchi. I know your schedule isn't the most flexible thing."

He made a right turn, throwing a sideways glance her way. "Oh, it's not a problem. I was headed to U.A. to ask the staff a few questions, and this is on the way. It's an old case, but I think it might have something to do with Midnight."

"You say 'old,' and not 'cold.' What, did the chief decide he wanted to give you a day off but you refused?" Ayane jested, "You'll get that done in a few hours. Tops."

Tsukauchi smiled. "You exaggerate my abilities. I'm only human."

"You make people like me obsolete," she quipped. "Maybe I should retire."

"Now I don't need to use my Quirk to know _that's _a lie. If retirement was something you'd consider, you wouldn't have fought tooth and nail to stick around."

"Like you could get rid of me," Ayane smiled.

"True."

Soon enough, they pulled up at the Nishimura residence. She considered herself lucky to be living in a full-fledged house instead of an apartment. Single life meant a small space worked for her, but an apartment building could be loud enough even before having a family. At least a house meant she'd always have a modicum of peace without people stomping on the floor above her.

As she hoisted herself into the wheelchair Tsukauchi had taken out of his car, she turned herself around as he hopped back in the driver's seat. "Thanks for the ride, Tsukauchi."

He tipped his fedora. "Of course. Call if you need anything."

The dispatcher scoffed. "Pff. I have an up-and-coming Pro Hero of a son. What more could I need than that?"

Tsukauchi smiled and nodded, waving a final goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway. Ayane followed his vehicle with her gaze until he faded from view, and then made her way inside.

The first thing Ayane noticed upon entering the household was the mess – or lack thereof. She ran a tight ship when it came to cleanliness and household duties, but even though classes at U.A. had ended by now, she didn't expect to see that _nothing_ needed doing when she got home. The dishes were all done in the kitchen, laundry was freshly-folded in the living room, and by the smell of things, food was already in the oven.

Jomei normally wouldn't be done with his chores until _at least_ a few minutes after she got home. He was either in a good mood or something was wrong.

Optimism told Ayane that he'd merely gone upstairs to work on the plentiful homework U.A. was sure to have given him. Realism told her that no teenager would ever do their chores so quickly and efficiently of their own volition.

But after fifteen minutes and no sign of her son, it was time to investigate.

"Jomei?" she called from the bottom of the stairs, "You here?"

"Yeah! Got a head start on dinner, too!" His response was distant, and not simply due to the physical gap between them. If there had been any doubt that there was something wrong, that single response made it vanish in an instant.

'_Yep. Definitely something on his mind.'_

Without further ado, Ayane used her years of upper body training to heft herself out of her wheelchair and into the nearby stairlift – making a mental note to thank Haruto again for the purchase when he called next.

She swung into the wheelchair that awaited her upstairs and made her way down the hall towards Jomei's room. The door was slightly ajar, and she quietly made her way inside. If he'd wanted privacy, he would've had it closed.

Inside the dimly-lit neon palace, Ayane noticed what looked like recordings of multiple fights on Jomei's many monitors. She didn't need years of investigative experience to figure out it must've been from U.A. – no one in any of the videos could've been older than 16, and barely, at that.

Her son might've watched Pro Heroes' battles sometimes, but to hurry through his chores just to watch his own peers' fights? It seemed like the lack of adolescent drama had lasted far less time than she'd anticipated.

But she'd learned a long time ago to be ready for anything. The job of a parent was never complete, after all.

Jomei spun around in his chair and leaped to his feet with a start. "Oh! Mom, it's… just you. Right. Sorry, I didn't hear the stairlift – did you want me to help you up?"

She wheeled herself closer, one brow raised. "Not at all. I'm disabled, not helpless, Jomei."

He nodded. "You're right."

"Of course I am," Ayane's tone dropped into something more conversational. "What're you up to, though? I know you too well to think you'd just hurry through your chores for their own sake."

Jomei sat down again and shifted his chair back toward the monitors. "I was watching replays of the battle trials today. It was part of our first foundational hero studies class."

"Any reason you're rewatching them?"

He shrugged, his hand absentmindedly going to his father's necklace. "I guess I'm just trying to understand my classmates better," he explained distantly. "They were pretty impressive."

And there were the red flags.

Him playing with his necklace, the distance in his voice, the lack of enthusiasm. Something was going on in her son's head, and it wouldn't be long before she got to the bottom of it.

"Now I know you aren't just gushing about your classmates, Jomei," she insisted, "So fess up." Her voice dropped to a gentler tone. "Whatever it is, I'm not going to judge you."

A pensive look crossed Jomei's face. "Ok…" he sighed, "I'm thinking that I haven't done enough to stand out. Not after how the battle trials went and only a few people noticed me. I gave it my all, won, and I'm not _mad _about it, but… I wanna see if I can do something better, you know?"

Ah. So there it was.

She rolled her head in thought for a moment before moving next to him. "How about this, then? If by the end of the week, you still feel this way, I can use some of my vacation days and organize some time for you to train over the weekend," she said, patting his knee.

Surprise and optimism shined in Jomei's eyes, and she continued. "Besides, you don't have to instantly 'stand out' like your father. It took him time to hone his Quirk, and he didn't have people to help him do it. You have me, so why don't we try to come up with something new?"

Jomei hummed. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time…"

"Exactly. So you already know there's no shame in it."

He looked up at her. "Are you sure it wouldn't be a burden on you?"

She shook her head with an incredulous smirk. "If you want to shine, Jomei, who am I not to help you? Of course it wouldn't be a burden."

"Then…" Jomei paused, "Okay. We'll see how I feel later."

* * *

As it turned out, Jomei was indeed still ruminating over his desire to stand out at the end of the week. Just like his father, feelings of inadequacy wouldn't just go away unless they were addressed somehow.

Thus, that weekend, Ayane pulled a few strings.

One of the many things she'd done back during her active patrol days was visiting heroes' training facilities from time to time. Though heroes may have been able to teach their interns and sidekicks the ropes, there were certain matters that only the police could inform the trainees of. Granted, that meant that she was usually relegated to a guest speaker talking about the ins-and-outs of the law, but she still made quite a few friends participating in the growth of new heroes.

So, cashing in on some favors and taking out a few vacation days, she was able to land Jomei and herself a time slot at a small hero agency's facility on relatively short notice.

And upon arriving, Ayane began using her experience in the police force and training Jomei in the past to come up with a new technique for him to try out – if he didn't come up with one first, anyway. So for the first day, while she was brainstorming, she let her son spend their allotted time running rampant, performing all the absurd parkour and impractical attacks with his Quirk that he desired.

It was a delicate thing to balance, she found. She wanted to help Jomei come up with a new technique but didn't want to create one that was either too dangerous or too underwhelming for his purposes.

Their second day of training rolled around, and Ayane began to feel like she was on the cusp of an idea. Jomei may have come up with his Light Speed and his beam attacks on his own, but that didn't mean she couldn't figure out what he was missing in his arsenal. Light Speed offered him mobility, and his beams' various levels of charged endowed him with power, but what about utility?

She would've suggested he hone his Quirk's ability to propel himself vertically, but there was a problem with this. Light Speed enshrouded him in his Quirk's emissions and let him move at a solid 48 kilometers per hour when he pushed himself, sure, but otherwise, it didn't cost him much gas to use over an extended period of time. Expelling his gas in tight jets to gain air mobility was costly, and could often be more of a detriment to his gases' reserves than a helpful tool in battle.

Which left the one other option she came up with.

If she couldn't help him with an old trick, why not come up with a new one? It may have taken inspiration from an old tool in her arsenal from when she still participated in raids, but it was a useful one no matter who was using it.

Now all that was left was to see if Jomei could make it work. He had the fundamental understanding of his Quirk – and he could make hovering balls that lit his room some nights – but it was combining combat and flippant usage that'd be his trial for the day.

She began wheeling herself from the border of the gymnasium-like room towards her son.

* * *

Jomei surged forward in Light Speed, a blue and purple trail left in his wake. He ran towards a support column and jumped, kicking off the metal high into the air. Breaking out of his speedy technique to gather gas in his palm, he let a Phosphor Beam surge into existence.

The beam pummeled a gel torso a few meters away, sending it flying as he landed heroically on one knee, chest heaving as his neon aura dissipated around him. The signature move was nothing new, but practicing it could never hurt. Who knew when he'd need to show it off elsewhere?

He took a moment to catch his breath, taking note of the time through the sweat on his brow. They were just about halfway through their allotted time.

He'd have to pick up the pace.

"Hey, Jomei! Time out for a second!" Ayane called.

Or not.

Standing, he wiped away the sweat dripping down his forehead with the back of his arm before he caught the bottle of water his mother tossed him. Within seconds, he chugged the entire bottle dry, leaving it a crushed husk of plastic.

"Thanks, Mom," he breathed.

She appeared beside him, straightening in her chair. "So, do you think you're making any good progress so far?"

Jomei's hand made a so-so expression. "Kind of. I feel like I'm getting _really _good at technique; which, go figure, is kind of my specialty, but I still think I need something more."

The path to fame as paved by his father required him to stand out, this much he knew to be true. But he also knew he couldn't just use the same tricks his father had used to garner his own amount of attention. He had to figure out another way to stand out.

The week prior had only shown him further how diverse and quirky everyone in Class 1-A was. The more he learned of his peers, the more it became apparent that if it weren't for his Quirk, he would've seemed like one of the most bog-standard people there.

At least he wasn't Ojiro. There was a rumor Ashido was trying to make him a baseball cap with 'King of Normal' written on it. Now _that _had to hurt.

Ayane spoke up again, cutting in on Jomei's thoughts. "Well, if you want to stand out from technique… tell me, do you remember how you sometimes make those glowing orbs out of your Quirk?"

"Of course." He summoned a blue sphere into his hand and began juggling it, the first 'technique' he ever came up with. It was more of an easy way to show off his Quirk than anything, at this point.

"Have you ever thought about using it in combat?" She eyed the loosely-bound sphere.

Jomei hummed. "I mean, yeah, but I've never figured out how to. If I just throw it, no matter how hard I try, it's just like throwing a baseball at someone, and at that point, I'm just better off using a beam attack."

As he explained, he rose back to his feet and threw the orb at another torso. It wobbled on its platform, but remained unharmed. A low-charge Neon Beam followed and produced an even stronger effect that'd knock an unsuspecting foe unconscious.

"See?" He finished.

"I do, but you don't have to use it to cause damage _directly,_" she countered, "Have you ever thought about condensing it and charging it just enough so that, if you let your Quirk's 'grip' on it go, it'd explode? Not just dissipate?"

Jomei took in a sharp breath of realization. There was no way she meant what he thought she was saying. Right?

"You mean you want to turn it into a flashbang?" He asked.

She nodded. "Mhm. And I think you'll realize how useful it can be if it works out."

Without hesitation, Jomei made his way back into the middle of the room. There were a few steps to run through, none too difficult, but the sequence of events was what mattered.

First, he gathered gas in his hand to create another ball. Helium, which would shine pink when ionized. Not his preferred color compared to argon's blue or purple glow, but it'd be a light enough noble gas that the energy he needed to spend charging it would be minimal.

Second, he condensed it further. What would usually be a sphere that'd float into the air when he let it go gradually became dense enough in weight to match a softball. For his upcoming pitch's convenience.

Third, he charged it. Whereas usually he'd feel only a bodily level of warmth in his gases when he used them in combat, now the orb in his hand glowed bright pink, with heat that felt more comparable to a hot car. It was tolerable, though.

The whole process took a few seconds, since it was his first time attempting the technique, but it was ready. Now all that was left was naming it… maybe something creative?

Nah.

"Flashbang!" Jomei called out.

He threw the gaseous ball across the facility, making sure that his mental grip on the gases was steady, keeping them packed together… and then, as it neared the ground, he released it.

It exploded in high-pitched ripples of sound as opposed to the sudden blast of a real flashbang, but the blinding light that came with it was just as powerful. Even he was taken aback, though his resistance to brightness allowed him to see the whole attack through.

A grin broke onto his lips.

Not only would the attack be perfect for stunning his enemies, leaving them wide open to attack, but it was eye-grabbing too. Whether used as an innocuous orb rolling on the ground or a swiftly-summoned fastball of light and sound, it didn't matter. What _did _was that it was the best blend of usefulness and his Quirk's inherit flashiness he'd used yet. Even if it was more subtle than his other techniques.

He chuckled, and turned to Ayane. "Uh… not gonna lie, that was satisfying," he smiled.

"Of course it was. What, did you think I wasn't going to come up with anything new for you to test out?"

"Oh, no! Never even occurred to me," he replied, "And I think it has a nice ring to it too."

"Well good – but keep going! One use doesn't mean you've mastered it. You've got to work on the speed of making it happen, now."

Jomei gave his mother a two-fingered salute and got right back to work.

Over the next few hours, he continued practicing with his newest technique. Every time he repeated the windup, he could feel it coming more naturally, the chain of events leading to unleashing a Flashbang accelerating. It'd never be as fast as sending out one of his beam attacks, but to those unfamiliar with his Quirk, the extra second it took for the technique to build up compared to his others would be imperceptible. For the purposes of the Flashbang's stunning effect, that was what mattered.

It was over this period of time that Jomei felt himself falling into a trance of sorts, realizing quite a few precious new things about his Quirk that could possibly come back to him someday.

To begin, he realized how surprisingly effective small packages of force could be.

While he'd never neglected his weaker Neon Beam in training, it was after his fight against Sero that he, albeit subconsciously, had somewhat written off the attack's usefulness. He may have been able to use it while in Light Speed, but what did that matter where his Phosphor Beam was objectively the stronger attack?

His newfound Flashbang had taught him exactly why. His Phosphor Beam was more costly, could slow him down, while his newest technique and his weakest beam would always be a better one-two punch than the bulkier attack. It was faster, more decisive, and most importantly, less likely to seriously injure someone who wasn't durable enough to handle his stronger move.

The first realization then fed into his second. As he practiced unleashing a Flashbang and following it up with a beam attack, he tried something new and unleashed a plentiful burst of his Neon Beams, rather than the single stream he normally used.

It was through these repetitions that he realized that his rapid followthrough could be so much more.

Back when he stole those dozen points from Bakugo during the practical exam, the barrage of beams he'd unleashed had been larger than any he'd made before. It had left him winded and could've rendered him useless if he'd continued on with it longer, but maybe there was something to be learned from the experience.

Rapidly discharging Phosphor and Neon Beams may have tired him out, but the attack had been a _devastating _crowd control tool. If he could control himself and instead output only a storm of Neon Beams in a concussive assault, it was possible that he could deal with a crowd of enemies much easier than he'd ever imagined.

Of course, after a few more minutes of constantly using his Quirk, he was reminded he had a long way to go before such a technique was possible.

Whether he included his Phosphor Beams in the hypothetical assault or not, his lack of breath and the fizzy feeling in his body told him that his reserves of gas had run low. He still needed a lot more training to reach a point where the use of such a large-scale attack wouldn't quickly drain his reserves. Not only that, but the rate he could even eject said gasses to keep up with the salvo still had to improve as well. The faux villains were slow to react when he'd planted himself firmly on the ground, but real villains wouldn't give him that opportunity.

But the idea that he could one day overcome his present limits filled him with determination.

His chest heaved as his body worked to replenish his reserves, and he looked over at the clock. Their weekend training trip's time was quickly coming to a close, with only fifteen minutes left before they'd have to leave.

Ayane wore an inscrutable expression as she made her way toward him, and he gave a thumbs up from afar to let her know everything was okay.

"So… are you happy with how things turned out? Still feeling down, at all?"

Jomei shook his head. "No. No, I think… I think I'll be okay, with Flashbang. It's a really cool move and I think it helped me realize a few things – it may have even given me an idea for another move down the line."

"Good, good…" She nodded, but after a moment of silence, Jomei noticed her features being schooled into something more serious.

"I'm proud of you, Jomei. Everything you've done, what you accomplished here, and even what you haven't done yet. You know that, right?"

His eyes narrowed, but he nodded. Even though he'd been wrapped up in his own head over the last few years, he could tell something more was on her mind. "Yeah, of course."

"Then understand that what I say next comes from a place of love," she prefaced. "Whereas your father's Quirk is only powerful enough to be, at most, a light show, we both know yours can easily turn dangerous if you aren't careful with how much energy you put into it. We also know that I'll always be there for you, and I'll always be proud of the young man you're becoming…"

She paused, and Jomei stayed silent.

"But I also need you to make me a promise."

"Of course, anything," Jomei readily agreed.

Ayane took a deep breath. "Ionizing your gases doesn't just add some extra force. It isn't just to grab someone's attention. Your Quirk can easily _kill_ if you go overboard, so… I need you to promise me. Promise me that you will _never _go too far with your Quirk, even when the chips are down. I don't want blood on my son's hands."

It was a long, silent few seconds before her words sank in. There'd only been a handful of times that he'd put everything he had into an attack of his, and each time the force those attacks produced had both astounded and terrified him. Apparently, it had also terrified his mother.

But he didn't need to be told how dangerous ionization could be if it got out of control. He'd witnessed it firsthand. He knew the day he used the crimson red-charged mixture of gases that resulted from his Quirk's maximum output would be the day he truly had lost control.

And he didn't plan on ever seeing the day when that would happen.

But all he said was, "I promise."

He just hoped it was a promise he could keep.

His mother let out a long exhale and shook her head. "Good. Now, go ahead and hit the showers, we're down to ten minutes and I'd rather not overstay our welcome."

* * *

It was about twenty minutes later that the two Nishimuras found themselves on the way back to the train station, but a part of Jomei still couldn't shake the mood his mother's warning had put him in. As the train station in the distance started to come into view, however, he tried to put it out of his mind.

His weekend had been something of an emotional roller coaster, so rather than taxing himself with some overanalysis of his mother's words, he instead decided to just look forward to being able to relax and reflect on everything when he got home. To this end, as he continued pushing Ayane forward, he found himself continuing to entertain his earlier line of thinking concerning his Quirk.

All things considered, he was blessed to have the Quirk he did. It was the perfect hybridization of his mother and father's, with a level of control enabling a degree of technique many other fighters' Quirks could never hope to match. Even the physical consequences of overusing it were rather minor, really. Whereas Akiko had to tote the line of injuring herself if she overdid it with hers, fatigue and soreness were the only negatives Jomei ever had to deal with.

What's more, although he may have likely only gotten two more days of training in than anyone else in Class 1-A, the simple fact of the matter was that he felt that gap made a difference – the proof of his belief laying in his latest technique.

After his performance in the battle trials, he felt sure that his Flashbang would turn the tides of whatever their next combat training exercise was in his favor. For all Class 1-A knew, his Quirk merely let him speed up and shoot beams made of noble gas, so his Flashbang would most assuredly catch everyone off-guard.

With any luck, it would make them pay attention to him too.

And if not? Well, there was always the upcoming Sports Festival.

So despite the fatigue he felt after spending his weekend exerting himself, he was in a pretty good mood and was looking forward to getting home, hitting the hay, and relaxing the rest of the evening. No more crazy revelations.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

As he pushed his mother along the sidewalk, the sunset cast a picturesque shadow over the city, and Ayane's dirty blonde hair, even tied in its usual bun, almost glowed under the rays.

Ayane was the first to break their companionable silence. "So, we've spent all weekend talking about you."

"And?" Jomei responded.

"I was just wondering how Akiko's doing," she said. "You're not the only one who likes that girl, Jomei, and ever since the day of the practical exam I haven't heard much of her from you."

Jomei blinked, and it took him a second to respond. His mother had never been shy about seeking his companion out just to see how she was doing; he was used to that. No, the trouble was that Uraraka's blunder crept back into his psyche at the tone of his mother's voice.

There was something there that he just couldn't quite place.

"Well? How is she?" Ayane asked.

"Oh, right," Jomei began, shaking his head. He might as well not put too much thought into it and just get right to it. "She's… doing really well, actually."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm!" He said with more vibrancy, "For starters, it's been really awesome to see her finally be able to let loose with her Quirk. Even if she can't go all-out, she's been doing great – even more than I could've ever imagined."

His mother nodded. "Because for some reason, Shimo decided putting a ban on his students discussing their Quirks was a good idea," she bluntly stated.

He chuckled. "Yeah, something like that. She even got to be MVP of our battle trial!"

"So you two were on the same team?"

"Yep. You should've seen her, she was _super _nervous about not being on a team with someone she knew, and then what do you know?"

"It all worked out." Ayane finished.

"Exactly!" Jomei agreed, "I didn't get to see most of her fight, but from what I've seen on the replays so far she's definitely making the most of her Quirk with all the things she managed to pull back there."

"Maybe we should watch the replays over again together?" she suggested, "It'll help me remember your classmates. Maybe I'll even give you a grade myself – make you something you want for dinner while we're at it."

"You mean it?" His stomach growled at the thought.

"Sure, why not? It'd be dinner and a show."

"Sweet! But, uh…" he continued, "Akiko's not just a great fighter, in my opinion. She's really been coming out of her shell lately, and you wouldn't _believe _how nice it is to see her making friends without me around. Even if some of it's accidental, and she still gets flustered over nothing sometimes, it feels good. Even if it sounds dumb… I'm proud of her."

As he let his tangents take on a life of their own, the smirk that grew on his mother's lips grew.

"Well, this just about confirms it, to me," she said vaguely.

Once again, he was taken aback by that unknowable tone of voice. But then he noticed her smirk and alarm bells went off in his head. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean _that whenever you talk about Akiko when she isn't around, you basically turn into a gushing mess about her. Right now there's so much passion in your voice that there's no way my little theory isn't right," she stated confidently.

Their progress slowed to a stop as Jomei's heart began beating just a little bit faster.

"And that is...?" He trailed off, hoping his gut feeling was wrong.

"That _you _have feelings for Akiko."

Jomei tried to ignore the heat he felt welling up in his cheeks and turned away. Ayane craned her neck around and caught his reaction, a knowing glint in her eyes that assured him of one absolute truth.

She knew, and there was no chance at escaping it now.

But dammit if he wasn't going to try anyway.

"Well…?" His interrogator asked. "Am I wrong?"

"Uh… kind of?" Jomei shakily began, "I mean, that's a really big assumption you're making there, and Uraraka made that mistake too and-"

"I don't know who Uraraka is," Ayane said, "But if people who haven't seen you two together for _months _can see you two have feelings for one another, _I _of all people can too. I'm not a detective, Jomei, but I'm damn good at what I do."

And just like that, all the feelings Jomei thought he'd conquered came flooding back up to the surface, and this time, there wasn't some lunch rush to cover his escape. He'd have to answer, unless he wanted to ditch his mother and get killed when he got home.

Which he was seriously debating doing right about now.

But no, he had to deal with it now, all over again, just like he had all those years ago in the privacy of his own head. He had to tackle his feelings for Akiko once again – the very same ones that he'd locked away oh so long ago.

"Should I interpret your continued silence as a yes?" Ayane inquired.

He would've killed for a chance to gather his thoughts at the moment.

Ayane's wheelchair began moving again as Jomei mustered an answer. "Well… let's say that you're right, and I said I did…" he nervously stated. "What would your response be?"

"So that's a yes."

'_Why did I even bother trying to deflect…?' _

"But my response _is,_" she continued, "that Haruto and I have both been wondering why you two have never tried anything before now, especially with how close you are. So, my question for _you_ is this – why?"

Jomei sighed. He knew he couldn't keep trying to feign he didn't have feelings for Akiko, not when his mother saw so plainly through him. Embarrassing as it was, he took solace in the fact it'd _just _be his mom he'd be discussing it with. It was certainly a better scenario than discussing it one-on-one with his dad.

"Have you ever noticed how I've never dated _anyone _before?" he quietly asked.

"I have, and I think that's a mistake, personally. In my humble opinion, I like to think you're probably one of the better fish in the sea, Jomei."

His response was near a whisper. "Thanks."

"Go on, though," Ayane coaxed, "I'm not going to judge you for your answer."

"I just… I've never had feelings for anyone anywhere close to what I have for Akiko," he hesitantly explained. "And because of that, I don't even know if I _could _date her 'properly,' however dating works."

His grip on the chair's handles tightened. "It's not just that, either. I'm also worried that if I somehow screw everything up, I don't want to be the reason our friendship is ruined. Add in the fact that school keeps us busy for the most part and training with my Quirk can take a lot out of me and… you see where I'm coming from?"

"You think you're not good enough," his mother finished.

"Yeah," was all Jomei could manage in return.

"Then let me leave that alone for a second and ask you this instead – do you _really _believe that you'd be just fine living out your days ignoring what you're feeling for someone? Let alone someone who's already as close to you as Akiko is."

She made a fair point. He'd buried and pushed down the inklings of emotion he felt for his friend in the past, but that wasn't a solution. It was a band-aid.

And if recent times were any indicator, it was one that was inevitably going to be torn off whether he liked it or not.

"Stop," Ayane said.

Jomei halted, and she spun herself around to try and meet his eyes, but at the moment, he was determined to look anywhere other than his impromptu life advisor.

"Do you _really _believe all those things? About all those fears and excuses?" she asked.

"I do. I feel… inadequate."

"Then you're the opposite of your father and me, in that respect," she stated, causing Jomei's eyes to meet hers. "So how about you listen up for some advice, hm?"

Jomei nodded silently.

"First off, about dating someone 'properly?' Jomei, dating a person doesn't always have to be some magical storybook romance. There doesn't have to be some grandiose proposal of love on the first date, no candlelit dinners or bouquets. It can be as simple as taking a walk through a park or doing the same things a would-be couple liked to do before they even started dating."

"And that was how it was with you and Dad, wasn't it?" Jomei recalled.

"Exactly," Ayane said. "And for the record, though, that was only the case _after _we got over the noise complaint that led to us meeting, but I'm getting off-topic. The point is, dating is whatever you want to make of it, and a busy schedule won't stop you from loving each other if that's the road you two want to take."

Her son squirmed and started tapping his foot on the ground.

"Now about 'ruining' your friendship? You and I both know that Akiko hasn't had a boyfriend or girlfriend yet. What's more, we both know she's smart – and I have too much faith in her to think that she'd hold you to some fairy-tale standard. You don't have to prove anything to her, or to anyone, so long as you don't try to be who you're not.

"You don't have to act on this information now, but just know that one day you're going to need to bite the bullet and stick your neck out there – and have faith that Akiko's probably in the same situation as you, right about now."

Jomei bit his lips. Internally, he knew that she was making all the sense in the world, but that queasy tug at the pit of his stomach he hadn't felt for so long came back in painful force as she gave him her advice. Despite the million things he had to say in response to each of her points, every excuse died on his tongue in favor of one reaction instead.

Acceptance.

"I'm still nervous, though," he whispered.

"And that's to be expected. It's only natural to be afraid of the unknown, and especially when it's something like this; but, the longer you wait to do anything the harder it's going to be to take that step when, and if, you finally decide to." She turned herself around again and paused. "And that's if you ever get the chance. Life can get chaotic and dangerous, Jomei, and it's up to us to make the most of the time we have."

Without another word, she began wheeling herself forward, towards the station that'd take them home. Jomei remained where he stood, watching her shrinking figure as he processed what was possibly the umpteenth revelation he'd had that day. But mental fatigue now stacked on top of physical, and any ideas about his Quirk's growth he might've been entertaining before fell by the wayside.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Hey man, I ain't gonna beat around the bush. I ain't Horikoshi, and I am no slow burn writer because… eh, that isn't my forte nor my favorite kinda thing. I don't think I'm of the quality to beat around the bush **_**forever **_**of 'do they or don't they' both have feelings for one another, but what I **_**will **_**do is leave it up in the air what happens next. Because if I said anything, well… there'd be spoilers, eh?**

**Regardless! For some reason, I can totally see Ayane being voiced by Holly Hunter. That's just a side note, but I quickly fell in love with Ayane's character after developing her initially as a mere footnote in my first-edition planning sheets. Funny how quickly characters take on a life of their own, to the point where I ended up ironing out a **_**ton **_**of the intricacies of Jomei's Quirk thanks to this little training chapter I planned out. It certainly helped with planning combat in the future, is all I'll say for now. Oh! And this chapter turned out surprisingly decent length for my first all-original content chapter. I must say, I'm rather happy with how this turned out!**

**Sorry about the delay, life stuff and my sister's wedding happened, but thank you for your patience everyone! For now though, stay awesome, and I'll see you next time!**


	11. Consolation Prize

For Akiko, the start of her second week at U.A. was relatively peaceful, all things considered.

It was spring, and even in an environment as urban as Musutafu, there was no shortage of natural sights and sounds to take in along her morning walk. Squirrels scampered up trees as people appeared on the streets, birds sang their morning songs, and the sun coasted up over the horizon to shed its warmth over the city. She'd lived her entire life here, and though these things could be potentially ruined by the hustle and bustle of the city, she'd long since learned to ignore it.

She found herself suppressing a yawn. Early riser though she may be, this was early even by her standards, and she was far from immune to the residual tiredness that followed choosing to wake up before dawn. But avoiding her parents made the tradeoff worth it. She'd had enough of their painfully formal goodbyes and their attempts to appear interested in her schooling.

It would have been nice to meet up with Jomei and walk with him to U.A., but unfortunately, he wasn't much of an early riser at the best of times. Add in the fact that since his weekend training session, he seemed to be 'accidentally' sleeping in more often, and she knew better than to assume he'd be able to meet up with her as per usual.

At least it looked like whatever unknowable fog that had plagued Jomei after the battle trials had been lifted.

That morning, the first thing she saw when she woke up had been a string of texts he'd sent her late last night. He'd said he was feeling okay thanks to developing his Flashbang, and after explaining the basics of the technique, he'd actually even apologized for being so glum over the past few days.

Peculiarly, though, he'd also said his replies would be spotty since he had 'some studying to do.'

It wasn't hard for her to doubt the excuse. But maybe he was just trying to keep her from worrying that he was slacking off on his schoolwork. Whether he was really studying or playing around more with his new technique though, it wasn't like the statement raised enough suspicion to cause her any undue concern.

Yawning again, Akiko's thoughts drifted back to her parents. All things considered, they weren't _bad_ by her metric. They were never too neglectful or unloving to her, nor did they ever seem to show favoritism towards Takai due to his preference for business over heroism.

No, the two elder Takaras were merely… steadfast, in their beliefs. Their opinion of heroes, or the lack thereof, had created something of a rift between themselves and their daughter over the years, especially when she decided she wanted to become one of them. It was a rift that had only widened after Akiko began attending U.A., and its exacerbation became all the more apparent as time went on. Deep down, though, Akiko knew they still loved her. That said, whenever they happened to be home in the morning, it was just easier to avoid the goodbyes entirely. Better that than the daily reminder in their eyes that they didn't care about her dream job.

At least she could take some comfort from the companionship Takai provided her.

As the lightest sleeper of the family, and with his room so close to hers, he always caught her when she tried to sneak out. But instead of ratting her out, he'd just lean blearily against his doorframe and chat for a few minutes before she ran off for the day. They may have just discussed small stuff, like her learning more about the heroes that taught at U.A. or if she'd been taught something useful for her future job, but it proved he was trying to make good on his promise to try more.

Despite a tiny twinge of heartache, she smiled at the thought of those early morning chats. Maybe she'd try to ask him more about his life and his grooming to take over Takara Jewelry next time. The thought that there'd _be _a next time was enough to chase the last bit of sadness she felt, at least for now.

Akiko took in a deep breath, recentering herself in the present as she neared U.A. Reaching for her phone to check if Jomei texted her, she was distracted by a sudden commotion going on in front of the school's front gate. A crowd had gathered there; some were dressed in business attire and held microphones while others held cameras, and it didn't take long to realize who the vultures were when she saw them surrounding a student.

_'The press, right.'_

With All Might's teaching at U.A. announced just last Friday, every reporter in the city (and probably a fair share of those outside of it) were just about willing to kill if that meant breaking the story first. Such was the nature of hero society, nowadays.

Akiko thought of the All Might she'd come to know in the short time he'd been Class 1-A's teacher, of his technological bumbling and almost naive cheer, and she smiled. To these reporters, and most of the rest of the world, All Might was merely an infallible bastion of charismatic heroism – more of a symbol than a man. But she was one of the lucky few who got to see a side of him no one else did. If anything, seeing that side of him inspired her even more to be the same type of hero he was someday.

That said, knowing why they were there did precious little for her. She wanted to avoid them, to avoid having so many eyes on her, and it appeared that their latest victim was finally escaping their journalistic grasp.

Which undoubtedly meant that whoever went up to the gate next was going to be hounded.

"Ah, Takara. I see I'm not the only early riser in Class 1-A," a familiar voice sounded.

Akiko whirled around. "Iida! What're you doing here?"

Iida raised a brow. "It's like I said. I simply wished to arrive on campus before classes started. Is this not the case for you, as well?"

"No, no, you're right. Sorry. You just surprised me, is all."

"Then I apologize for the intrusion," Iida said with a short bow. He walked next to her and took stock of the scene before them. "I see the press has wasted no time haranguing our colleagues. Are they in your way?"

"Kind of," Akiko admitted, "I could probably work my way through them, but I don't want to get grabbed for an interview. I'm… not good with that kind of attention."

"I've noticed, but you needn't worry!" Iida proclaimed, striking a heroic pose with his hands on his hips, "The scion of the Iida family will cover for you!"

"Oh, no, that isn't necessary, I don't want to impose…"

"Nonsense! What kind of hero-in-training would I be if I didn't aid my own peers?"

Akiko gave a shy smile. "Well, in that case, thank you, Iida."

"Of course! Merely stick close and I'll fully endeavor to keep the media occupied while you slip away."

With the plan struck, the pair moved out, and Akiko followed it to the letter. Even though he was only a few centimeters taller than her, Iida's broad features did more than enough to conceal her lithe frame when beside him. Before long, they crossed the threshold into the numerous reporters' line of sight, and the press' hive mind smelled blood in the water.

Iida was quickly stopped by a reporter displaying hardly a modicum of human decency, her maroon ponytail bobbing as she shoved a microphone in his face and her hand latched lightly onto his wrist.

Meanwhile, Akiko used the diversion to stealthily make her way through the security gate.

"Tell me! How does All Might fare as a teacher, and what's the experience like, being taught by the number one hero?" the reporter demanded.

Iida didn't flinch. Instead, he complied perfectly.

"Where to begin? Perhaps most prudent to establish first is that his knowledge and wisdom remind me daily that I'm attending the most prestigious school in Japan," he started. "As expected, he epitomizes the virtues of honor and integrity while still possessing a level of humility that keeps him approachable, even to the most soft-spoken of his students. That said, it's also important to note that he isn't afraid to show his humorous side either, and…"

Iida's words faded as Akiko escaped earshot of the crowd, and even with her rudimentary ability to read others, she could tell two things the reporters were feeling right about now.

One, thankfulness that they'd finally gotten a proper interview.

And two, _unrelenting _boredom as they realized just how verbose their interviewee truly was. He'd keep them busy long after Akiko had disappeared and feel not an iota of frustration or fatigue for his trouble.

She made a mental note to thank him again when she got the chance.

* * *

Even though Iida had bought her a clean getaway Akiko didn't head straight to homeroom, instead choosing to wander the halls. She caught a glimpse of the faculty here and there, with Lunch Rush headed to the cafeteria and Present Mic humming some unknowable tune to himself, but the main building was mostly barren, and almost lonely, this early.

It wasn't a feeling she was immune to. Even when she was alone in her room, the atmosphere wasn't as… _dead_ as it was here. A part of her wished she'd managed to pull Iida through the gate with her. At least then she wouldn't feel so isolated.

She finally checked her phone, but no messages awaited her. Texting Jomei would probably still be fruitless at this time of the morning. Messaging Kyoka and Denki for company were both options, but she didn't want to impose herself upon them in case they were preoccupied, wherever they were. Anyone else she knew from class was presumably not even at U.A. yet.

Except for one perpetually tired-looking boy.

Whose fluffy indigo hair she caught a glimpse of as she turned a corner.

'_Shinso!'_

She still hadn't learned what had become of him since the practical exam, and if there was any opportunity to learn more about her stoic acquaintance, now was the time.

She sped up just enough to catch up with him, keeping a respectable distance between them, but remaining close enough that he would see her behind him.

Before she could make her presence known, however, he looked over his shoulder at her and slowed. Akiko chose to interpret the gesture as an invitation for her to join him.

Which she quickly did.

"So, what do you want, Takara?" he asked passively.

Akiko's eyes widened a bit at his bluntness, but she answered regardless. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"That's up in the air at the moment," Shinso sighed. "I've seen you in the hero course crowd. Congratulations." It didn't look like he felt very congratulatory though.

"Um, thanks," she said. _'So that probably means he's not in the hero course…' _"But… what course did you make it into? You obviously made it in somewhere, right?" she tentatively asked.

"I was given a spot in the general education department. My grades on the written exam got me that far, for whatever it's worth."

"But you could do worse than the general department though, right?" Akiko asked. "It can help you get better post-secondary education opportunities than any other high school in Japan – even if it isn't involved with heroes like the support and business departments are."

Shinso just shrugged. "You may be right, but still, it's _not _where I want to be. Compared to the hero department, general education is just where they put the people too smart to turn away but not 'talented' enough to place in any of the important courses," he said bitterly, "It's a consolation prize, not an achievement."

Akiko fell somewhat quiet at that. She could assume it wasn't where he wanted to be. She would have been devastated if she'd only made it into the general education department – she needed only to recall her reaction at the start of her acceptance letter to remember that.

More relevant to Shinso however was the fact that, even though it was possible to change courses, it was usually done between the three non-hero departments on account of how the hero course so fundamentally differed from the rest, and drop-outs were almost unheard of.

And whatever U.A.'s reason for not bolstering Class 1-A back up to its intended 24 was, she figured it would take something remarkable for them to make an exception for the sake of one student.

Which meant even if Akiko vouched for him, he'd have to prove himself to the school first.

And besides, she had no idea where to begin to do that.

Coincidentally, Shinso's brow was furrowed in an equally concentrated look as Akiko's, and his posture straightened somewhat as the tension disappeared.

"You know, now that I've had some time to think about it…" he started, "I think I might have a plan to fix this mess, after all."

"Really?" Akiko asked, "What-"

"Akiko, hey! Over here!"

Akiko turned quickly towards the familiar voice and saw Jomei waving for her to join him. Evidently, she'd been wandering the halls longer than she thought, as the bell warning students to get to class sounded shortly thereafter.

No time for the short version of Shinso's plan either, then.

"Shinso," she quickly continued, "are we… okay?"

"If you think I'd be mad at you for having to go to class when I have them too, then no, I'm not." he deadpanned, "And if you're talking about the fact you got into the hero course and I didn't? I say it's better that _you_ got in instead of some hot-headed piece of work."

Akiko kept her mouth shut. It was probably for the best that he didn't know about Bakugo just yet. His positive opinion of those in the hero course seemed limited exclusively to her, at the moment, and she didn't want to endanger that by informing him of her explosive peer's existence. He'd find out in his own time.

"And don't worry about my plan. I can handle it on my own," Shinso finished.

As Shinso disappeared into the quickly growing crowd of students, Akiko didn't waste any time lingering. Instead, she turned back around and hastily made her way to Jomei's side.

"So, first of all, sorry about not texting you," Jomei apologized as they made their way up to homeroom, "I woke up late, had to book it to school, and then there was the press – you saw them, right?"

"Yeah. I barely made it past them, they were like… scavengers. What ever happened to journalistic integrity?"

"I don't know, but _personally _I think it was kind of awesome. They got an interview from me, and even if they don't use it, I'm calling the press catching me a win. Gotta start my story somewhere." Jomei smiled.

Akiko felt her lips tug upwards. Appearing on screens countrywide was one of the goals just about anyone who pursued fame shared, and Jomei was no different.

Their eyes met and Jomei's smile turned strangely furtive as he quickly looked away. Whatever he might've had in mind to say was forgotten, and the unusual moment passed as quickly as it came.

"Anyway," Jomei drawled, "what were you and Shinso up to?"

"Oh, Shinso? I was wandering the halls earlier and just kind of ran into him. It was pretty much the first time I was able to touch base with him and find out how he's doing. Apparently he only made it into general education."

"Ouch," Jomei cringed, "that's about as far away from the hero course as you can get, _especially _if you were put there after gunning hard to become a pro. How's he taking it?"

"Not the best, not the worst, but I can't blame him," Akiko returned. "But the funny thing is that Shinso sounded like he had a plan, even though it looks like U.A. isn't going to be filling any spots anytime soon, if at all."

"I wonder what that could be… he'd have to prove himself in a _huge _way to make U.A. move a student from a non-combat course into the hero department," Jomei said. "Did he tell you what it was?"

She shook her head. "I think he was about to before he left, but no. Classes, and all that."

"Well, at least he got in. I can't imagine this'll be the last we're going to hear of him, so I guess we'll just have to sit and wait."

"For now, though…" Akiko trailed off.

"Aizawa-sensei?"

"Aizawa-sensei."

The gargantuan door of Class 1-A's homeroom came into view, and the pair hastened their approach. The day may have started out with a mix of media and mystery on Akiko's end of things, but that didn't keep her from holding out hope the day ahead would be comparatively calm.

Or at least, as calm as things could be at U.A.

* * *

Considering how late he stayed up into the previous night thinking about his mother's advice, Jomei considered himself lucky to have woken up only a few minutes after his alarm sounded.

More importantly, thanks to the help of his mother's foresight in preparing breakfast and a solid dose of caffeine, he was at least able to make it out the door in time to get to U.A. – albeit forgetting to message Akiko as a consequence.

But he'd yet to conclude when he would act on Ayane's advice.

It wasn't a matter of _if_. He knew his mother was right, loathe as he was to admit it to anyone but himself, but that didn't mean the apprehension around moving his and Akiko's relationship forward didn't remain. Even if the incident with Uraraka gave him some hope for when he finally did.

But for now, though, he'd go by baby steps. He'd let the idea of asking his _best friend _out on a date simmer for a while. Even if it was technically the same procrastination he'd been engaging in for years, it was still better than a wholesale lack of a plan to just let his heart guide him.

And if he had any doubts about whether he harbored deeper feelings for Akiko, seeing her with Shinso removed them without question.

Thankfully, he immediately caught himself after he felt the barest hint of jealousy, since Shinso did _not _strike him as the kind of person Akiko would be into dating. That said, if his knee-jerk reaction after yesterday's revelations was _jealousy,_ of all things, there was absolutely no denying what he felt for Akiko.

_'Why the hell did Mom have to be so right…?'_

He fiddled with his necklace at his desk, wondering why he couldn't have just been born as confident in the world of dating as his father obviously was.

Just another thing to try and live up to.

A familiar droning voice cut in on his thoughts. Evidently, Aizawa had emerged from the cocoon of his sleeping bag while he wasn't looking.

"Alright everyone, I'll say that you all did decent on your combat training exercises last week. All Might finally decided to release your grades to the rest of the staff after some final revisions, and I made the time to give them the once-over."

Koda and Sato squirmed in their seats, averting their gaze.

The movement apparently didn't go unnoticed. "Koda, Sato. I wouldn't feel disheartened about your defeat. You still made it into U.A., and the fact you tried to strategize in the first place shows that you have potential. Keep at it and let your battle trial be a lesson for you."

The two bulky students bowed their heads at his words.

"Bakugo," he continued. "You did well, but you shouldn't sulk over your loss like a petulant child. It's a waste of time and energy. Put it to better use improving so it doesn't happen again."

"Yeah, whatever," Bakugo muttered.

And it was at that moment Jomei realized something. Bakugo really _had _been quieter than the first two days of classes. But he then reminded himself not to devote any further thought to the change in attitude. Unless the guy did something egregious again, anyway. Jomei owed it to himself to keep his sanctity of mind in one piece.

Especially after the tumult of his first week.

"And Midoriya," Aizawa said in a warning tone. "I saw that the only way you won was by breaking your arm again. Work harder. Your 'no control over my Quirk' excuse is already getting old."

Midoriya shrank in on himself somewhat.

"You need to stop hurting yourself while training here, but… your Quirk will be very useful if you can get a handle on it."

Jomei and Akiko shared a look that conveyed their mirrored thoughts in an instant.

_'Was that a compliment? From Aizawa-sensei?'_

Maybe he had a heart, after all.

"Understood?" Aizawa prompted.

"R-right!" Midoriya fiercely responded. "I'll work hard at it right away!"

Aizawa nodded. "Now, this next test will decide your future, so I hope you're all prepared."

If the sudden tension Jomei felt in the classroom was any indicator, everyone in Class 1-A tensed, all thinking the same thing he was.

_'Another Quirk test? Already?'_

"Today you'll need to choose a class rep."

_'Oh good, just normal class stuff.'_

And just like that, Jomei found a bit of his inner fire blazing back to life. This was going to be fun.

"Hey, everyone should pick me!" Kirishima immediately exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.

"I'll take it," Denki added. "The class rep needs to be someone cool."

Kyoka raised a brow. "No, they need someone competent."

"How about someone that's both?" Jomei grinned.

"Non, non! You need someone with incroyable fashion sense!" Aoyama recommended.

Almost everyone in the room began clamoring for the position of class president at that point. In any other, normal school, the position would simply bog down a student in additional work, but U.A. was no ordinary school. In the hero course especially, the position of class rep carried with it the opportunity to perfectly display one's leadership skills – the very same that would be needed as a Pro Hero. Usually, the ensuing attention would lead to hero agencies making note of the prospective leader, opening innumerable doors for future employment.

Or even the creation of one's own agency.

Jomei didn't know the exact details of what it meant to be a class rep, but he'd have to be an idiot to pass up the opportunity. His father's experience with all kinds of agents taught him that much, and he had a feeling that Akiko was aware of this too, what with her family's experience with business and all.

Unfortunately, one look at her and he could tell her shyness was keeping her quiet.

She'd come out of that shell one day, though. He was sure of it.

"Everyone, silence yourselves, please!" Iida barked.

All eyes fell on where he stood. "The position of class representative isn't just a flashy position – you must lead others. Not just anyone can do that, as such a position requires the trust of everyone in the classroom. As such, I propose that we should put it to a democratic vote. An election, if you will."

"I don't know," Kirishima wondered. "Is that even a good idea?"

"He's right," Tsuyu agreed. "How can we make a good decision when we've only known each other for a week?"

"And besides," Kirishima continued. "Wouldn't everyone just vote for themselves?"

Iida nodded. "Most people would! But all that means is that whoever even manages to get more than one vote is _clearly _the most qualified!" he exclaimed. "Wouldn't you agree that this is the best method, Aizawa-sensei?"

The disheveled Pro Hero zipped up his cushioned cocoon with him inside. "I don't care how you choose your class rep; all I need you to do is to decide before my nap is over."

And suddenly, Aizawa was asleep before he hit the ground.

"Thank you for your trust!" Iida praised.

* * *

Class 1-A dispersed shortly after Aizawa gave everyone his go-ahead for the impromptu election. It was clear that Iida wanted everyone to vote for him, as he came up with the idea to begin with, but that didn't stop the eager teenagers from sectioning themselves off to conspire in secret. There was no doubt that everyone was going to try and sell themselves as the best choice for class rep, but it was more likely that everyone was just going to vote for themselves anyway.

Regardless, campaigns among the more active candidates continued, and Denki, Kyoka, Jomei, and Akiko found themselves huddled around the latter pair's desks in the privacy of the back of the room.

Which meant that Jomei would have no interruptions when he pitched why he should get everyone else's votes. All he had to do was deliver on his meticulously crafted speech to get Denki and Kyoka on his side. Presumably, he already had Akiko's vote.

"Alright, now-"

"Do you realize how much extra work is involved in being a class rep?" Kyoka interrupted.

Jomei could've sworn he heard a record scratch.

He fumbled for words but eventually found his voice again. "Okay, so _maybe _I haven't considered how much more work a class rep at U.A. would have than any other school… _but_…"

'_Oh, who am I kidding? I already have to drudge through schoolwork as it is…'_

"That didn't take much convincing," Kyoka smugly stated.

"Well who here do you think we should vote for, then?" Jomei asked.

"What about Akiko?" Denki helpfully recommended. "She's pretty smart."

"Thank you for the compliment, Denki," Akiko started, "but remember, being a class rep is also a social thing, and I don't think that I'd be the best person for that kind of job."

Kyoka sighed, biting the inside of her cheek. "Well, you're on the right track, Akiko. I think that we shouldn't vote for any of us."

"Wait, what? Why?" Denki asked. "Can't I have a turn asking for votes?"

"Let me explain, and you'll understand why," Kyoka asserted. "Akiko already made it clear why we shouldn't vote for her – she's shy, and you can't avoid attention as class rep. _You're_ a complete and utter goofball-"

"Hurtful!" Denki fretted.

"And Jomei," she continued, looking at him, "may have a good mix of smarts and social skills but basically just admitted he doesn't want the workload."

"Okay, that might make me sound like an ass, but you're right," Jomei conceded. "But that doesn't explain why you don't want us to vote for you, then."

She shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie, I do think I'm a good candidate, but the more I think about it… I don't think I'd be the best suited for it either. It's not like I'm the easiest track to read by anyone who isn't you guys, and transparency is kind of a necessity for a class rep."

"I'm surprised you thought this through so much," Denki commented.

Kyoka made a flippant gesture with her Quirk. "I'm a good listener, and more importantly, I'm good at strategy. Remember our battle trial? Who came up with our plan then?"

"Then why didn't I know this?"

"I thought it was obvious."

Denki leaned back. "Okay, you have a point."

"Well if that's all over with, that still doesn't solve where our votes are going, unless the plan is to just vote for ourselves anyway," Jomei said.

"I was getting to that. If we aren't voting for ourselves, how about we vote for the person who's actually going to get stuff done and not be a jerk about getting the position?" Kyoka suggested.

"That sounds fair," Akiko concurred.

Denki and Jomei shared a look and shrugged.

"Then in that case, how about we vote for the two brainiacs in 1-A? Iida and Yaoyorozu," Kyoka offered, subtly pointing towards the two with her earlobe jacks. "If Iida becomes president, he has respect for the faculty, so he won't screw up, and so does Yaoyorozu. More importantly, neither of them seem to be afraid of extra work, so they'll probably rock through whatever paperwork they'd get assigned. So long as we split our votes in half and get those two over the hump of one vote, things should be fine."

"But isn't there still a risk of a tie?" Akiko questioned, "If they vote for themselves, anyway. I do think Iida's a good choice, though – he helped me get through the press without them attacking me this morning."

"I don't think it'll matter," Kyoka countered. "Either another vote is held to break the tie or they decide it between themselves. If Iida's the boy scout you make him sound like, he'd probably be okay with just taking the stage dive down to deputy. Everything works out fine."

"Is it just me or does it feel like we're rigging this thing?" Denki asked.

Jomei scratched the back of his head. "Not really. It's just that we're the only people willing to do the right thing and actually vote like we're supposed to. Even if we're giving up our chances to be class rep, we can feel good about that much."

"Yeah…" Denki wistfully agreed. "But there's always next time to have some glory, right?"

"Yep. The slow climb to fame…" Jomei added.

Denki and Kyoka went back to their seats then, the conspirators' plot fully formed. Honestly, there were worse potential outcomes to the election than the one they'd hopefully created. If everyone was left to their own devices, anything could happen, and someone like Midoriya could land in the position for no other reason than sheer dumb luck.

_'Speaking of…'_

Across the way, between Mineta and Bakugo's seats on the left side of the room, Jomei caught wind of a conversation going on between Iida and Midoriya. They were too far away from him to make out words and he wasn't going to ask Kyoka to eavesdrop for him, but he could understand enough from body language and facial expressions.

He'd clearly missed the bulk of what was said, but he did notice that Midoriya looked rather resigned, though not in a displeased way. Iida, on the other hand, was bowing profusely and shaking Midoriya's hand with just enough vigor to avoid making a scene.

Considering the task at hand that everyone was involving themselves in, it wasn't hard to assume that the pair had just struck a deal. In all likelihood, Iida was probably the only person to garner a vote from his campaigning in the entire class, but it wasn't surprising.

He, Midoriya, and Uraraka had formed their own trio after the first week of class, and even though Class 1-A was a unit, social circles would inevitably form. Heck, Jomei was a part of one himself, and he didn't even pay any attention to that fact, most of the time. It was just a normal part of how life in any school panned out, hero academy or not.

_'At least Midoriya voting for him will probably prevent a tie,' _Jomei thought.

And a few minutes later, his assumption was proven correct.

Aizawa had woken up to tally the votes as they came in and wrote the results on the chalkboard, still halfway wrapped up in his sleeping bag for most of the affair. When he was finally done, he notified the class and stepped out of the way.

It was as everyone had expected.

For the most part.

Most people in the class had voted for themselves, with the only variations being that Jomei, Akiko, Kyoka, Denki, and Midoriya all lacked a single vote, whereas Iida and Yaoyorozu had several. Iida had landed four with the votes of Jomei, Akiko, and presumably Midoriya and himself, while Yaoyorozu was given three thanks to her own vote alongside Kyoka and Denki's. Eyes settled on him and his friends, but Jomei merely sat back and enjoyed the attention. Akiko had long since hidden herself behind her notebook.

"Well, you've all seen the results," Aizawa stated, "Iida will be your class rep, and Yaoyorozu will be his deputy. If either of you have anything to say, come on up."

Iida's mouth was agape, still in wonder of how he'd managed to garner his four votes. So far as he was aware, he'd only successfully rallied one person to his cause, but he appeared next to Yaoyorozu at the front of the room momentarily, trying to regain his composure. His deputy was far calmer and more collected, though it was clear that she too was surprised at the number of votes she'd received.

She started the proceedings. "In the spirit of the election and the anonymity it provides, I won't ask for the names of who voted for me. What I would like to do, however, is thank whoever did. I'll endeavor to meet all of your expectations and pledge my full support to assisting both this class and our president in the future."

She bowed, and respectful applause thanked her for her courtesy.

"Yeah, I think I can get behind this," Kirishima commented. "Yaoyorozu was on top of the battle trials."

"And let's not forget how focused Iida can be," Ojiro added. "He was the only person in the first fight that stayed focused and he became MVP because of it. I guess that kind of drive got him those votes."

"Maybe it's just because he looks the part," Ashido wondered aloud.

"No matter what, I think they'll be able to handle it, ribbit," Tsuyu observed. "They're probably the smartest people here."

"Everyone, thank you!" Iida bowed, finally having regained his voice.

Attention turned back to the front of the room.

"Truly, I'm honored to have been chosen for this most prestigious position among you all. I promise, I'll aspire to be the best representative I can be for Class 1-A in the future, you can count on it!" he fervently proclaimed.

It was at this moment that Jomei wondered if he made a mistake voting for someone other than himself.

And he thought Iida was serious about school _before_.

"Now, as a first act as class rep, I believe that a secondary election should be held soon for the various class officers' positions."

Everyone straightened in their seats somewhat upon hearing of the upcoming second round. They may not be the top position, but they were still important roles that needed filling in any class – even if most people forgot they existed.

Iida grabbed a slip of paper with the positions listed from Yaoyorozu. "Now, we are still in need of a class secretary, treasurer, and possibly an event organizer-"

He was cut off before he could finish.

Without any warning, sirens began to blare all around them, making everyone jolt in their seats. Jomei's heart lurched at what the flashing red lights implied.

A feminine, robotic voice sounded from the halls. "_Warning, a level three security breach has occurred, all students should evacuate immediately in an orderly fashion._"

The mood in the room dropped like a stone. Whatever the level of the breach meant, it didn't matter. What was important was that U.A. had been breached for the first time ever.

The next few things all happened in what felt like an instant.

Aizawa went from standing still to throwing on his golden goggles and running out the door in a moment, only stopping to speak to Iida for a second before continuing. Aizawa-sensei was gone, and in his place, all that was left was The Erasure Hero: Eraserhead.

Iida began ushering Class 1-A out into the halls shortly thereafter, though no one could hear exactly what their class rep was saying over the din of the sirens and the rest of the school body following the evacuation order.

As all this occurred, Jomei lost sight of Akiko and had no other choice than to breathe in the complete and utter chaos – leaving him with one cognizant thought as it all went down.

_'This can't be good…'_

* * *

**Authors Note:** **Okie dokie! Chapter 11, done! It turned out to be a bit of a much shorter chapter, but I didn't really mind it. It's a nice change of pace, since you need shorter chapters sometimes, and this got the job done.**

**So! Akiko and Shinso catch up, Jomei's introspection continues, and ****protag-san**** doesn't become class rep for five minutes just to be used as a joke! I know Midoriya's good, but I never felt great about his MC status and his harem buying him the position in-canon. So yeah, I took some liberties. Besides, the same lesson Midoriya learns –** **that the archetypal class rep in MHA **_**is **_**the archetypal class rep in MHA – is such a simple thing that I feel like it's easy to just assume Midoriya realized it slightly sooner in this parallel timeline. At any rate, I do look forward to this story continuing to grow because, well… even if you can see where some of these subplots are headed, I can **_**guarantee**_** you won't be able to predict my plans for a few arcs from now.**

**For now, though, cheers! I'll see you all next time!**


	12. Ill Omens

There weren't many times in his life that Nezu had been taken off-guard.

The most notable one he could remember was the earliest cognizant memory he'd ever formed – of waking up with a sense of self.

He was one of the few rare cases of an animal having developed a Quirk, a mouse born to be experimented upon long before High Spec ever gave him intelligence far exceeding his captors' own. Even so early on in his life he could identify his preordained purpose and the wrongness of it all, and though that gave him little comfort as he was experimented upon, it did buy him a place in modern society when he inevitably escaped.

That place being the position of principal at the finest educational institution in Japan.

Even so, throughout it all, his intelligence mostly prevented him from being taken off-guard by any of it. He could read and manipulate people like a spider wove webs if he desired, but he wasn't that kind of mouse. No, he saw fit to use his remarkable sentience to try and make society a better place, pulling strings only when necessary for the purpose of that goal. It took incredible patience and wit, and no small number of people had praised him for possessing the skills no human alive could match.

In essence, societal engineering was his hobby. It kept him busy, even if few things had ever made him feel even slightly threatened, after all he'd been through.

And then the break-in happened.

There was chaos in the halls as all students at U.A. clamored to comply with the evacuation order. They were the best of their generation, so Nezu expected no less – in fact, he felt pride in his students for how they tried to learn more about the situation as it was unfolding. That said, the execution on their gut instincts could use some work. Then again, that was what they were at U.A. for.

No, the thing that had made him feel truly surprised again wasn't the alarms, but rather, the reason they were set off in the first place.

Nezu had run through many scenarios in his head before today about what a level three alert and its aftermath would look like. He considered even more as he made his way to the security gate after everything was said and done.

None of them resembled the scene that currently lay before him.

The three-meter-thick collection of sensors and reinforced steel, the impenetrable U.A. Barrier, had been rendered nothing more than an unglorified pile of slag and dust at his feet.

It went without saying that the destruction of the once-impregnable barrier between U.A.'s front entrance and the press that morning had triggered the alarms. But if the penetration of the barrier had been all Nezu had to worry about, he wouldn't be fighting to keep his disdain for ne'er-do-wells under control right about now. No, he was more concerned with the matter of discerning what this entire sordid affair meant in the grand scheme of things.

His square-shaped ears detected footsteps behind him.

Thinking in solitude would have to wait, then.

"You said you wanted to talk to us, sir?" A voice droned.

A more energetic one followed. "Well we're all in your station, so let 'er rip!"

Eraserhead and Present Mic – they had been the first responders to the surge of reporters that flooded into U.A. when the gate fell. Whoever destroyed the gate was still unknown, but at the moment it didn't matter. The long-time friends stood their ground, keeping the invading media at bay and not giving in to their demands of a statement concerning All Might. Nezu had long since learned of the press' voracious appetite for stories, so he was glad his subordinates were as competent as they were. They had held the reporters back without any issue, and it wasn't long before the police arrived to remove the crowd.

That said, however benign the break-in of civilians might have seemed, Nezu had called a conference of almost the entire U.A. hero course staff the moment he was able. Now that the alarm had been shut down and all those invited were here, the meeting could finally begin.

Before anyone could question his silence, he nodded his head to acknowledge the group's presence. Every educator behind him remained quiet as he checked through his preemptive analysis of the situation.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, we have multiple alert levels to keep our students and faculty safe here at U.A.," he prefaced.

"A level one alert is triggered upon attempted breaking and entering, with localized alerts being sent to on-site pros to deal with the issue. A level two alert is activated when someone breaks through the gate, with a stay-put order being issued to the student body as classes are put on pause. A level _three_ alert, however, indicates that someone passed through the courtyard and into U.A. itself – with precautions for students being extended to an evacuation of the main building."

He clasped his paws behind his back. "Such a thing has never occurred before in U.A.'s history, both due to a degree of fear from potential villains and the quality of the security gate's construction. The destruction of the gate is concerning in of itself, but that isn't the most important detail at the moment."

Nezu spoke calmly, but he wondered how many of his staff suspected the storm brewing beneath his surface.

"While it's encouraging that many of our students, in the hero course or not, tried to discern what was happening or otherwise get to safety outside of any pros' way… there are a few things I'm concerned about."

The principal turned on his heel, turning a deadly serious stare at his colleagues through his scarred right eye, scrutinizing every detail of their expressions in his search for even the smallest piece of the puzzle before them. Aside from noticing that his expression made the hair on the back of Eraserhead's neck stand on end, he came up with nothing.

"Eraserhead, Present Mic. Can you confirm that no member of the media made it inside the main building?"

Eraserhead nodded. "Absolutely. Mic?"

"Yep! Those animals were so busy nipping at us for All Might that I don't think any of them would've dared to sneak off. Trust me, just in case one of us caved in with a statement, not a single reporter alive would risk moving from the front of the school, ya dig?" Present Mic elaborated.

"Midnight?" Nezu continued.

"I was at the teacher's lounge with Cementoss when the alarm went off, but I saw nothing and no one out of the ordinary on my way here," she stated.

Nezu pointed his muzzle at the living concrete block.

"Midnight's recollection of events is exactly the same as my own, sir," Cementoss concurred.

"And you, Snipe? Any suspicious individuals?" Nezu gently inquired. Recovery Girl was a late responder, as he was, so interrogating her was a moot point.

He had also called Thirteen to the meeting, but their time would come.

"Not a one," the westerner responded. "Besides, if one of them damn villains came stomping into the school, I can guarantee ya that the students woulda made y'all a scene – bigger than the one they made, anyway."

"Then it appears that none of us have even the slightest clue who could have entered U.A., or more importantly, why they infiltrated the grounds in the first place," Nezu mused.

"What're you suggesting, Nezu?" Recovery Girl asked.

He looked at his elderly colleague. "I'm suggesting that the only thing we've been able to ascertain, thanks to the alert, is that someone successfully entered our institution. As such, we can only assume that whoever did so must have succeeded in their mission, whatever it may be. Seeing as we lack a great deal of information about our unknown assailant, that means that our only reasonable response to this incident, for the time being, is to try and minimize the damage done to the school."

The healer's eyes widened. Nezu understood. He had _never _had to resort to damage control in all his years as the principal at U.A.

"Sir, since we're in the dark about the break-in, does this mean that we should cancel the hero course's upcoming lesson, just in case?" Thirteen asked.

Nezu shook his head at the space-themed hero. "No, they'll be conducted in accordance with the current lesson plan. We can't allow this incident to affect U.A.'s outward appearance, even if it means we're taking a proverbial shot in the dark by doing so. That said, I'm also not going to be endangering our students in making this decision. Eraserhead?"

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to forfeit your opportunity to catch up on sleep during your students' lessons. If I may be so bold as to offer you some words of wisdom, I would encourage you to take a break from your patrols the night before the USJ lessons, as I'm sending you to the premises as a precaution."

Eraserhead removed his goggles, returning to his perpetually sleep-deprived self as he tucked them into his scarves.

"I'll live. Will you just be sending me, or anyone else?"

"Oh, of course. I'll most likely be sending All Might too once I get the chance to speak to him. His reputation in and of itself should serve as an effective deterrent, but if things get difficult, I have no doubt that you, Thirteen, and he will be able to handle things."

For once, Aizawa didn't express his displeasure concerning the celebrity hero. Nezu expected nothing less, as Aizawa was a man of logic, and sending the number one hero to protect students after a break-in could hardly be called illogical. It was both a deterrent and a show of strength on U.A.'s side of things, and it was necessary considering the number of unknowns they were dealing with.

"The logic checks out," Aizawa said. "More importantly, your plan will be keeping my kids safe, and that's what counts here."

Nezu decided not to comment on Aizawa's slip. It was rare enough for him to show emotion, and to see the stoic hero actually growing _fond _of his group of students this year was remarkable.

And this was talking about someone who expelled two hopefuls earlier in the year without a second thought.

Instead, he turned to Present Mic, as his role in the whole plan moving forward might be the most important out of everyone's.

Even if he wouldn't like what his superior had in mind.

"Present Mic," Nezu began.

"Yeah, chief?"

"I believe that all of us in attendance are well-aware of your experience with the inner workings of the media, so in order for the rest of my plan to work, we're going to need your help. It's come to my attention that you have links to a certain minor celebrity, yes?"

"Yeah…?"

"Then you know what my request is already. I need you to use your media-savviness and your celebrity acquaintance in any way you can in order to get the press interested in _that _story. I can issue a gag order to every major news outlet in Musutafu, but my authority only goes so far. If we can distract them long enough to avoid them letting loose the idea that our security is _fallible,_ then we may just be able to weather this storm before it even arrives."

A bead of sweat ran down Present Mic's temple, and he squirmed in place, further drawing his fellow heroes' attention.

"Am I wrong?" Nezu calmly asked.

"No!" He instantly responded, "It's just that, can't we use my radio show after-hours instead of diverting attention _away _from us?"

"You mean _yourself, _Mic," Aizawa reprimanded. "None of us have any childish qualms about losing some meaningless spotlight when U.A's reputation is on the line."

It was obvious the radio show host still had his misgivings. He was about to make as much known, too, when he seemed to notice his coworkers' glares and Midnight holding her whip at the ready. Nezu imagined that even Present Mic wasn't about to make an enemy out of the R-Rated Hero.

Present Mic groaned. "Fine! Don't say I never do anything for ya, Shota – and that goes for the rest of you, too!"

Aizawa rolled his eyes, and Midnight looked about ready to crack her whip to spite her childish colleague when Present Mic fished out his phone. He kept the number he was punching hidden from view, but they'd all heard all too often the same story concerning who it belonged to.

Or more specifically, the fact he'd sworn not to use it since he got admitted into U.A.

As he turned around, Present Mic's hero persona fell away, leaving only the man Yamada Hizashi, who put on the most painfully forced smile anyone could've ever seen. If he thought it'd save him some embarrassment, he was sorely mistaken.

The phone rang three slow times before it picked up.

"_Hey,_ Haruto!" Yamada greeted.

Nezu couldn't hear the response, but Yamada's immediate tension was palpable. Nezu imagined it would've been funny if he hadn't suffered hearing about his 'rivalry' with the celebrity so many times.

"Oh, come on, _old pal _– no, why would I call just to take a crack at ya?"

Another muffled response, a new round of tension.

Aizawa approached and raised his brows at his friend as if to tell him, 'get on with it.' Yamada just turned away again as Haruto continued speaking, dismissing his partner with a wave of his hand that seemed to say 'I got this.'

"Yeah, well we've both grown! But hey, if you don't believe me, you remember that favor I owed you from back in the day?" Yamada asked. "Yeah? Great! Well how about I pay it back to you, just this once?"

He forced a shaky thumbs-up back towards Nezu and Aizawa before he continued speaking.

"Nah, no strings attached. What gig? You know how Auditiva's performing in Tokyo? How's that sound, eh?" he offered. "I know, I'm _kind of _the best – erh, I mean, you deserve it! Yeah, I'll call Auditiva's agent, he'll call yours, it'll be whipped up in a jiffy! Before the end of the week, even! Sound good? Alright!"

As Yamada pressed the button to end his call with his frenemy, he turned back around, looking as though he'd just gone through several wars within himself just to maintain his composure.

"Okay…" he started, the air of Present Mic returning to him, "you happy now?"

"Quite," Nezu deadpanned, "though I imagine you have something more to say to me?"

Nezu knew Present Mic had _plenty _to say to him right about now. But he was _far _too composed to be on the verge of unleashing frustration at his superior about doing the objectively right thing for the school.

That meant that Present Mic had _another _issue with what he was instructed to do. It was something Nezu had already anticipated coming up, but it wouldn't hurt to let him vocalize his qualms – he'd already done his part.

Present Mic sighed, deflating a little. "You do realize that what you just made me do isn't all good, right? And I'm not talking about Haruto's career getting a boost, either."

"Get to the point, Mic," Aizawa warned.

"I was getting there! What I'm saying is that Haruto's about to be really busy after performing with the top techno star. That's gonna keep him away from his family even more, and Nishimura doesn't deserve that," he explained, referring to one of his students. "He isn't a bad kid. Hell, I'd even go to bat for him and say that he's got the potential _and _the heart of a hero, from what I've seen of him."

Nezu nodded in response. "Your observations are noted, but Synth is a traveling musician already, and an extension of his current trip away from home won't be the end of the world. It's like you said, his career will undoubtedly receive no small boost as a consequence of performing in the same venue as the top musician in his genre."

Aizawa's glare at him didn't escape Nezu's peripheral vision. Yet another indication of his care for his students.

"Make no mistake, however," Nezu continued, "I am well aware that this will undoubtedly make our Nishimura's home life a bit more frustrating. That said, it's not like we have the luxury of catering to kindness when Japan's faith in U.A. is at stake. Utilizing your links to Synth and the media was the most likely way to divert public attention away from this incident, and as unfortunate as the consequences may be, life will go on. The influx of activity Synth's career will experience will undoubtedly subside, and the Nishimuras' family life will return to normal."

The principal could detect mixed feelings on his reasoning, though that was to be expected. No hero would ever be completely fine toying with another person's life, but it was like he said – they didn't have any other options right now.

Even if he too felt _some _regret for his own lack of choice in the matter.

"As for the rest of you?" He prompted. "You are all to make sure things return to normal for the students as soon as possible. Even if the media has been handled, we can't allow U.A. itself to be affected by the break-in. Minimize the damage, and move on with classes as usual. Are we clear?"

The Pro Heroes provided their answers simultaneously. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Present Mic, thank you again for your assistance. You are all dismissed and to resume with your regular duties for the remainder of the school day."

The heroes began to disperse, leaving to fulfill their miscellaneous tasks one after another.

All except for one.

Nezu didn't need to turn around to know that the Erasure Hero was staring at him. After what his superior's actions had inevitably doomed one of his students to go through, there was no doubt he was debating if he should protest against the very adherence to logic he adhered to. It was so much easier to observe one's own philosophy when the consequences didn't hit home.

"You know, Aizawa, I don't mind staring – I am a walking, talking mouse after all – but with your Quirk requiring eye contact and your lack of sleep, I can't imagine this is healthy."

"Right," was all Aizawa said and soon stalked away.

Which left him all alone, with nothing but his thoughts and a mountain of paperwork waiting for him in his office.

"Whoever perpetrated this incident certainly made a statement," he thought aloud. "Though that begs the question… is this going to be an isolated incident, or something _more_?"

As much as he hated to admit it, even High Spec couldn't help him divine visions of the future. _That _Quirk belonged to someone else, someone that Nezu couldn't force to use it just to make his life easier.

So, with that in mind, he'd just have to play things by ear as best he can, for only time would tell what the magnitude of this incident would turn out to be.

* * *

To say that Akiko was surprised by the aftermath of the break-in would be an understatement.

At first, things had gone just about as well as could be expected. There was disorder in the halls as everyone tried storming through the building, leaving Class 1-A scattered and unable to do a damn thing besides try not to get crushed by the tide of bodies. She, in particular, was lucky enough to use her lithe frame to her advantage and avoid the worst of it, while even masses of muscle like Shoji and Sato struggled to remain upright at some points.

It was thanks to an unforeseeable miracle that Recovery Girl didn't have to spend the rest of her day treating trampled students after all was said and done.

Somehow, the two class reps of the hero course classes managed to meet in the chaos. Kendo Itsuka and Iida, even as first-year students, barely class reps for more than five minutes, both rose to the occasion and quelled the din enough to restore order in the building. Granted, the way they did so was by Kendo tossing Iida like a ragdoll onto one of the exits to grab everyone's attention, but it got the job done. Iida was able to inform everyone that the alert was, in fact, _not _villains, but the media, and his soft chiding of everyone for losing their cool reined in the residual unrest in the halls. Their efforts weren't going to last forever, but they lasted long enough for announcements to be made that finally restored true order to the school.

Teachers did their best to assure everyone that the incident had been handled, and lessons resumed without further delay, with Power Loader already on top of repairing the gate as soon as possible. On top of that, a point was made that the student body shouldn't let gossip about the press distract them from their studies and that their parents would be notified about what happened before the end of the day.

Akiko was content with both of those things, though she was notably happier about the school taking initiative in informing her parents more than she was about her studies proceeding uninhibited.

Why? Because it meant that she wasn't the one that had to break the news to them.

All things considered, they took it rather well. They were frustrated with U.A. for letting it happen and gave her no small number of incredulous looks after she got home, but the same afternoon they were informed of the matter, it was dropped like a stone.

But somehow, their flippant dismissal of the whole issue didn't make Akiko feel any better.

Akiko didn't like to think she was too soft-hearted, but the lacking parental love never failed to cast her mood down in a hurry. She tried to remind herself that it wasn't all bad, though.

Takai quickly picked up on her melancholy and sat her down, asking to make sure she'd be safe in the future. "I'm fine," she assured him, through watery eyes. After her parents' reaction, Takai's concerned voice was a solace. She wished she could somehow tell him what his attention meant to her, but all she did was wrap her arms around his neck in a brief, fierce hug.

So, after _all _that, Monday had come to a close, and the week proceeded as normally as the one before. Even before the week was out, most conversation among the students was replaced with meaningless everyday gossip Akiko had only ever had a mild interest in, at best.

And that was including all the times Ashido had dragged her into the girls' conversations, which, admittedly were somewhat nice to be involved in. It gave Akiko a sense of belonging, and a place to be outside of her and Jomei's little quartet.

Jomei certainly seemed happy about it, anyway.

Speaking of, her companion's life had been somewhat more eventful than hers after the press' intrusion, though not for a reason she would have anticipated.

While lounging in bed and surfing the news when she should have been studying, she saw a report that made her spring up from her pillows. Apparently, Synth had landed a chance to perform in the same venue as the number one techno artist in Japan, _in Tokyo,_ in just a few days. After quickly calling Jomei, she learned even he hadn't the slightest idea how his father had managed it, but it was happening one way or another.

His performance arrived later that week, and the speed at which the media jumped to cover the story of 'Synth and Synesthesia' almost gave her whiplash. Perhaps more importantly than the coverage itself however was the effect it had on his career.

Without so much as a single night between his performance and the following day, the business of Synth's schedule skyrocketed. She knew it would lead to more exposure than the elder Nishimura had ever received before, which was undoubtedly a positive financially, but it wasn't the best thing for Jomei.

With his dad's current trip away from home being extended longer than they ever usually lasted, Jomei became consternated all over again. Denki and Kyoka didn't seem to have picked up on it, but she knew his change in mood was so subtle that only she could perceive it. She approached him after class one day, sequestering themselves in an empty hallway. "What's bothering you?" she asked, her hand still resting lightly on his elbow from where she had pulled him into the hallway.

Maybe he had been waiting for her question, because he didn't hesitate, venting his feelings in a frustrated burst of words. He assured her that he could deal with his father being away from home since he didn't want to be the one to interrupt something that was undoubtedly his dad's big break, but the absence hurt all the same.

But after Jomei's dissatisfaction was nipped at the bud, life continued on, and soon it was Friday of their second week at U.A.

"Alright everyone, today's training is going to be a little different than normal," Aizawa said. "You're going to have three instructors monitoring you – myself, All Might, and another pro that will meet us on-site."

'_Wait, three pros? Does that mean they're adding security because of what happened earlier?'_

"Sir!" Sero raised his hand, "What kind of training is this?"

Aizawa held up a card with bold blue kanji. "Rescue training. You're going to be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, the kind of thing that every hero needs to know how to address."

And just like that, a ripple of excitement burst through the room.

"Disasters huh? Looks like we're in for a workout," Denki observed.

"Totally! It's going to be _awesome_!" Ashido chirped.

"Real hero stuff… this is what separates the men from the boys!" Kirishima said enthusiastically.

"And who gets the media coverage or not…" Jomei whispered.

He certainly wasn't wrong. All Might became a legend for saving a thousand people in a single day, which she imagined appealed to Jomei, but she had her own reasons to be excited. Rescuing people was _exactly _what she imagined herself doing as a hero when she first started thinking about becoming one.

Tsuyu turned to Kirishima. "I'm just excited I'll be able to show off how good I am in water, ribbit."

"_Guys,_ I wasn't finished yet," Aizawa cut in.

"Right…" Class 1-A nervously responded.

"What you wear during this exercise is up to you, but I know you're all still excited about your costumes, so…" He tapped a button, and the panels containing their heroic garbs were released. "Just be aware that you're still new to them, so they might restrict your abilities. At any rate, training is at an off-campus facility and we'll be taking a bus to get there. That's all, so get ready."

Everyone rose to their feet, crowding around their costumes' cases, which quickly left Akiko and Jomei waiting at the back of the room for everyone to disperse. When Jomei finally got ahold of his costume, he turned to Akiko as she grabbed hers.

"So, you ready to play hero?"

Akiko hugged her case to her chest. "Always."

* * *

"You know, I still can't get over my costume," Jomei said.

They were outside now, alongside most of Class 1-A, waiting for whoever was left to come out of the lockers so they could board the bus and head out. As it turned out, handing a bunch of teenagers costumes with dozens of accessories and, for some, just as many steps to put on slowed down the process of starting a field trip.

"What do you mean?" Akiko responded.

"I mean that Fujiwara managed to take into account _everything _about my Quirk, and even though he was designingthree other costumes, it still came out perfect." Jomei made a gesture down the sides of his jacket.

"We did provide our Quirks' info on the paperwork for our costumes…"

Jomei nodded. "Yeah, but how do you manage to make a costume that keeps you protected from the weather but still let out noble gases? It's not like my Quirk doesn't have mass."

Akiko raised a brow. "You're thinking about the details of your costume a lot more than I thought you would."

"Well, I'm pumped!" His neon strips thrummed brighter for a moment. "Damn shame about Fujiwara not being able to work with your Quirk, though."

She shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'm happy with my costume as it is, and I can always have it modified later if I get any ideas."

"True."

A high-pitched whistle pierced the air around them, and everyone turned to look for its source.

"Class 1-A! It's time to depart for our training grounds! Use your student numbers to form two neat lines so that we can board the bus in an orderly fashion!" Iida instructed.

He blew his whistle once more, repeatedly chopping his hand in the air where he intended for the lines to be formed.

"He's… really getting into the class rep thing," Jomei stated.

"We voted for him," Akiko reminded him.

"Don't remind me. I'll start to regret it."

He moved towards the bus, and Akiko couldn't suppress a giggle before following. Iida really was the best for the job, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the absurdity of how seriously he took the position.

Akiko ended up sitting at the back of the bus, where she'd be able to evade most peoples' notice, and Jomei joined her without hesitation. Denki and Kyoka were nearby, closer to the center of the bus, but were preoccupied. Kyoka was playing music on her phone and Denki was keeping it charged, the wire plugged into his mouth keeping him from speaking. His musically inclined friend was at least kind enough to put an earbud in his ear though.

Jomei, having taken Akiko's advice to listen to some classical music instead of the techno he normally chose, soon seemed to drift off to sleep. Akiko alternated between gazing out the window and observing her classmates.

"The bus' open layout ruined my boarding strategy…" The class rep was meanwhile complaining.

"Iida, you really need to chill," Ashido said.

"If we're pointing out the obvious, then there's something I'd like to say." Tsuyu turned and faced Midoriya. "About you, actually."

Midoriya visibly tensed. "Oh, uh, what is it Asui?"

"Hey, didn't I tell you to call me Tsu? We're all friends here."

He deflated a little. "Oh, right. Sorry."

Tsuyu nodded. "It's no problem. But what I wanted to say was about your Quirk – the power you have… it's a lot like All Might's."

Midoriya jolted. "Oh r-really? I g-guess I've never thought about it like that!"

"Yeah, but I think we're all forgetting something. All Might's Quirk may be metal as hell but it doesn't break his bones," Kyoka added, not looking up from her phone. Denki nodded and hummed in agreement.

Akiko wondered if she was the only one who noticed the look of relief that passed over Midoriya's face.

"Still, I think it must be nice to have a simple augmenting type of Quirk. You can pull a lot of flashy stunts with that kind of thing. Hardening's good for defense and beating up the baddies but it really isn't all that impressive-looking," Kirishima chimed in, activating his Quirk along his arm for emphasis.

Denki's eyes widened and Kyoka yanked the wire out of his mouth to set him free.

"That's totally not true!" Denki said. "Your Quirk's super cool, even if it isn't like-"

"Mine?" Aoyama finished, "You flatter me, but it's hardly a fair comparison to make. Our Quirks are simply in two different leagues."

"I was going to say Jomei's," Denki finished, jabbing a thumb over to the unaware Noble Gases user. "His Quirk basically has flashiness down pat."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, man," Kirishima replied. "But I'm not gonna lie, I still think it'd be easier if I could really light up a fight. You said it yourself, Nishimura's got one hell of a Quirk for that kind of thing."

"That may be the case, but I still believe that my Navel Laser has the perfect combination of strength and panache in our class," Aoyama countered.

Ashido put a hand on his shoulder. "But it's way lame if it gives you a stomach ache, sweetie."

Aoyama grimaced, and Dark Shadow appeared from its hiding place in Tokoyami's stomach. Somehow, the Quirk was quickly becoming known as the class pet, and Akiko wasn't sure where the idea originated.

"**And I think we're forgetting something. 'Art of Seduction?' What kind of name is that for an attack?"**

Tokoyami's eyes snapped open from their brooding. "Dark Shadow! Restrain yourself!"

"**What do you mean?! You know I'm right…" **It complained, but it returned inside its owner's body regardless.

"I dunno, personally, I don't think the names count as much as the Quirk itself," Kirishima opined. "Now if anyone in class has a pro Quirk, in my manly opinion, it's gotta be Bakugo and Todoroki. They _owned _the battle trials!"

Bakugo glared at the group before turning away with a huff.

"Yeah, but Bakugo's always angry, so he'll never be that popular, ribbit," Tsuyu stated.

Akiko cringed, and her crystal core went a surprised green. So she really _didn't _have a filter for her bluntness, it seemed.

Bakugo grabbed a railing and leaped out of his seat. "What did you say!? I'll kick your ass any day of the week!"

"You see?" Tsuyu pointed at him.

Akiko heard Jomei sigh beside her, to which she turned to see his eyes were still closed and his earbuds in.

"Yeah, I may be relaxing, but I'm not deaf," he murmured. "Still fine though – at least it's a little fun to see Bakugo get what's coming to him."

"Right."

Denki flippantly gestured towards Bakugo. "So you're aware, it's somewhat astonishing. We've only been in your presence for a fortnight, yet your reprehensible personality has already made itself abundantly clear. Truthfully, likening the pleasantness of your presence to a burning pile of fecal matter would be a courtesy, given current events."

"Alright, what the hell's with that vocabulary?! I'll make you regret the day you applied to U.A., loser! I'll kill you!" Bakugo fumed.

"It's called cracking open a book – you might wanna try it some time."

"As if! I aced the written exam, you bastard!"

"Then you might want to expand your number of insults!" Denki bit back, grinning.

Akiko felt her jaw drop. Denki was enjoying getting a rise out of Bakugo, that much was clear, but she hadn't imagined him to be the kind of person to intentionally antagonize others. Jomei hated bullies too, but he never became as verbal as he was physical about giving them their comeuppance.

She'd have to ask Jomei later for his take on what was happening.

Iida blocked Bakugo as he threatened to spill over into Denki's section of the bus as the conflict continued. "Stop it, both of you! I won't stand for your incorrigible behavior staining the good reputation of U.A.! Apologize to each other, at once!"

"Hey, stop fooling around," Aizawa ordered, and the bus began to slow. "We're here."

Denki, Bakugo, and Iida all glared at one another but joined in Class 1-A's singular voice.

"Yes, sir!"

The bus stopped and everyone stood, Bakugo, in particular, strutting out of the vehicle with a vengeance while Denki and Kyoka stuck behind. Jomei and Akiko were on their way off the bus when the former pair joined them.

Jomei took off his earbuds. "Hey, Denki?"

"Yeah?"

He gave a wry smile. "Thanks for the show."

Denki grinned. "Hey man, Bakugo had it coming, even before I knew he was an ass to my new buddy."

That explained a few things. So Denki _wasn't _hiding some sadistic side to himself, but rather, he was just as fervently opposed to bullies as Jomei. Akiko couldn't say she was surprised by this revelation now that it'd come to light, but she could say that she wasn't entirely pleased. Denki may not appear to possess the same eagerness for physical confrontation Jomei once did, but that didn't change her preference to avoid needless conflict.

In both her _and _her friends' cases.

"But was it really necessary to antagonize him, though?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it was kind of funny though, right?"

"If by 'funny' you mean 'obnoxious and annoying,' then yes," Kyoka said. "It was hilarious."

"Oh, well if that's the case, you don't have to worry, _mom._ I don't plan on doing it all the time. He just made it too easy! Kind of like you sometimes-"

An earphone jack cracked down on the back of his head like a whip.

"Yeah," Kyoka deadpanned, "Really easy."

Out of the corner of her eye, Akiko saw Jomei barely holding back a snicker. "Then how about we agree to disagree, for now?" he said. "Denki?"

Denki rubbed the back of his head, warily glaring at Kyoka before responding.

"Yeah?"

"Hold back on the pissing off Bakugo. It's great, but let's not set off the literal living explosion any more than we have to, eh?" Jomei said before turning to the girls. "Sound good?"

They shared a look.

"Thank you, Jomei." Akiko nodded.

"Whatever," Kyoka shrugged, as they all began walking towards the gargantuan domed building before them. Denki followed suit shortly thereafter, alongside the remainder of Class 1-A as Aizawa started moving away from the bus.

Whatever was inside the structure was unknown, but for once, Akiko felt a bit of excitement to find out. The training that would take place inside this facility would provide her all the fundamental tools that would let her become the hero she dreamed of being. The saving grace to the helpless people always put in danger by the villains and hoodlums that plagued modern society. With her friends by her side and the lessons ahead of her, she felt like that goal was closer than ever before.

All that was left was taking the first step.

* * *

Or several steps.

Because whoever designed the massive stadium-looking building evidently thought climbing five stories' worth of stairs would build anticipation in whoever came to visit the place.

Which, to their credit, they did succeed at.

As Akiko crested the peak of the long ascent, she came face to face with Class 1-A's mysterious third instructor. She didn't know who to expect to be teaching her alongside Aizawa and All Might, but she knew for sure that her heart skipped a beat when she saw them.

Right before Class 1-A was one of the most popular rescue heroes to exist in Japan since the advent of hero society – Thirteen.

Though their appearance beneath their costume was an all-too-mysterious secret, that didn't stop Akiko from placing them close to All Might in terms of her sheer adulation. Thirteen wasn't popular for nothing. They were one of the most effective and selfless heroes she'd heard of, with a philosophy towards protecting others that the aspiring hero-in-training couldn't help but want to emulate. _They _were the kind of person Akiko wished her family would take note of in the same way she did.

Thirteen's costume was rather befitting of a hero whose epithet was 'the Space Hero,' too.

Since the Quirk phenomena shifted the collective focus of scientific research to understanding humanity's newfound abilities, the collective interest in extraplanetary travel had subsided considerably. That said, there were still those that spent their days looking towards the stars in wonder and those that still manned the centuries-old space station that still raced around the Earth. Thirteen wouldn't be out of place among those people.

At its core, aside from its lack of a flag and an oxygen tank, their costume was a carbon copy of an American spacesuit – with a few modifications. In place of an oxygen tank, Thirteen's costume incorporated a respirator that doubled as a transmitter for their voice, which, even modulated, somehow managed to come across as comforting. Perhaps it had to do with the hero's quirky nature or the big white eyes that were visible against the space suit's visor, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter.

They were a hero, through and through. That's what really counted.

"Greetings, everyone! I've been looking forward to meeting you all!" Thirteen said.

A ripple of realization radiated through Class 1-A, everyone beginning to realize who exactly the person before them was. Reactions ranged from nonsensical fawning to energization at meeting another famous pro, to renewed determination at the prospect of the challenges such a famous hero could've cooked up for them all.

Midoriya was the first to break the awed silence.

"It's the Space Hero: Thirteen! The chivalrous pro who's rescued hundreds of people from disasters all across the world!" he gushed.

Uraraka was far more animated, practically bouncing on her heels gleefully. "Alright! Thirteen's one of my favorite heroes!"

'_We have that much in common…' _Akiko thought.

"I can't wait to show you what we have in store for you all! Remember, what you're about to bear witness to is the result of decades of hard work, and what you learn here today will remain with you forever when you become a pro," Thirteen said. They pointed towards the building behind them. "Now there's no time to lose! Let's show you what's inside!"

If Akiko was fangirling over meeting one of her idols before entering the structure, she qualified as going absolutely _wild _with awe when she did.

"Hey, whoa! This is like an amusement park!" Kirishima exclaimed.

Uraraka and Akiko both couldn't suppress peeps of excitement as they caught onto the details of what was inside. Every 'attraction' in the amusement park they could see looked to be a perfect replication of any natural disaster a hero would be expected to encounter one day. What's more, each area was roughly the size of the battle centers used for the entrance exams, only further highlighting the sheer scale of the facility that contained them.

Thirteen turned around as Class 1-A took in the sights. "Behold! A ruined city, landslide, conflagration, mountainside, rainstorm, and untold flooding! All perfectly replicated disasters in a student-friendly environment! With a central plaza connecting them all, you'll have all the time you need and more to prepare for each and every disaster you could ever encounter!

I created this facility through my own hard work so that hopeful students like you could get all the training you need – I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, but you can call it _USJ!_" They declared, striking a pose on one leg.

"That's… This is literally like Universal Studios Japan…" Jomei said, and Akiko shot him a look.

"It doesn't matter! Just look at this place…"

Jomei crossed his arms and smiled. "Don't worry. I won't rain on your parade," he said before quickly throwing in, "Even if the place _is_ named for a pun."

Akiko smiled despite herself.

* * *

Aizawa sauntered over to Thirteen. Given how Class 1-A was staring at the myriad of scenarios contained in the USJ, he'd have privacy to speak with his colleague about something he knew his students were bound to notice.

"Hey, Thirteen. Where's All Might?" He asked. "Let me guess, he got bored and decided to book an interview instead of doing his job."

Thirteen took a step closer and lowered their voice. "Actually, it's something else." They held up three fingers. "All Might used up all his power on his way to campus this morning, so he's resting in the teacher's lounge. He should be able to catch the tail end of the lessons if we're lucky."

Aizawa sighed and lowered his own voice further. "So he trusts U.A. with the big secret that he can only work for three hours and blows it all anyway on the way to school… that man is the height of irrationality."

"I'm afraid I'm somewhat inclined to agree, in this case…"

"Then that just means you're more logical than most."

"Oh! Thank you!" Thirteen might've smiled behind their visor, but it was hard to tell.

"Whatever," Aizawa dismissed, and he turned around, now speaking louder for the class to hear. "Alright. Thirteen? The clock's ticking, so we ought to get started."

"Oh, right!" Thirteen jolted. "So! I'm really excited to get everything started, but before we begin, I just have one thing to say… okay, maybe two, possibly three, or four, or _five-_"

"We get it..." A chunk of Class 1-A interrupted.

Thirteen straightened. "Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, I possess a powerful Quirk known as Black Hole," they began, holding up and wiggling their fingers for emphasis. Each possessed a cap that could be removed, and anyone who knew who Thirteen is knew what they were for.

"Of course! It lets you suck up anything through your fingers and turn it into dust! You've used it to save people from all sorts of disasters before!" Midoriya recalled.

"Indeed," Thirteen confirmed. "But you should know, that my Quirk can also very easily be used to kill."

And there went the unbridled excitement.

* * *

Jomei and Akiko stiffened instantly. It was a sobering reminder of her hero's destructive power for Akiko, but her friend radiated tension for a split second longer than her. For once, she couldn't tell if Jomei's reaction was due to surprise or if the change in atmosphere just hit close to home.

"In fact, some of you here today also have Quirks that can be dangerous," Thirteen continued. "Thanks to the nature of the superhuman society that we live in today, all Quirks are identified and stringently regulated, so their true danger can often be overlooked. So please, don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly, even if you're trying to be virtuous and rescue someone."

Jomei nodded along beside her, looking more serious than Akiko could recall him being in recent memory. At the same time, the embers of exhilaration at meeting Thirteen faded away within her, replaced by the weight of their warning pressing down on her shoulders.

"Thanks to Aizawa's fitness tests, you all have some idea of your Quirks' potential, and All Might's battle trials gave you all a taste of how dangerous they can be when used against other people. Carry those lessons over to this class, because today you'll be learning how to save people's lives. You won't be using your Quirks to attack, only to help – because after all, that's what being a hero is all about, right?" Thirteen looked at Akiko for a moment and Akiko's heart thumped. "Saving others."

The hero bowed. "That's all I have to say. Thank you all so much for listening!"

Thirteen's impromptu speech finished, and to Akiko, the air around the students changed once again, shifting from foreboding to inspiring in the blink of an eye. Class 1-A cheered their instructor on, and the two long-time friends shared a determined look. Akiko couldn't wait to get started.

'_Saving people… Thirteen's right. That's what being a hero's all about! Not the fame, not being cool, not the excitement. Just saving people. And that's exactly what we're going to do!'_

Aizawa pushed off the decorative archway he was leaning against and pointed towards the central plaza. "Alright, now that we're done with the speeches-"

A shot of sudden electricity coursed along the perimeter of the USJ's industrial lights and cut him off. The lights short-circuited and dimmed, leaving nothing but the sun's rays passing through the opaque dome overhead to illuminate the facility. The spray from the fountain in the central plaza then flickered off for a moment before resuming its flow.

Later, Akiko would look back and realize that no one would know what was happening until it was too late.

"Uh… Denki?" Akiko spoke.

Denki looked warily at the inactive lights. "Hey, this isn't me. I'm lost too."

Aizawa, who was standing near them, looked just as surprised at Denki's answer as Akiko was. When his eyes widened, the hairs on the back of Akiko's neck stood on end. If this wasn't one of the students…

He turned around, looking down at the central plaza, and Akiko followed his gaze… only to meet a vortex of black and purple fog staring back at her by the fountain. In the next split second, the fog flared to life, glowing yellow eyes at the core of its expanse as it rapidly expanded in size and scale.

And there was something else there.

Something worse.

Something that was staring right back at them through the void.

"Everyone!" Aizawa shouted. "Stick together, and don't move!" He then spun toward his colleague and ordered, "Thirteen! Protect the students, no matter what!"

Kirishima looked down towards the plaza. "Whoa, what's going on over there?"

A figure walked out of the void. Even in the low lighting, it was clear the figure was a man – deathly pale skin, a slim body, and cracked scars along what could be seen of his lips and his right eye. His face was obscured by unkempt grayish-blue hair of uneven lengths, but that wasn't what was terrifying about it. Bright red eyes could be seen beneath his hair, sure, but fourteen disembodied hands gripped him all along his arms, chest, neck, head, and shoulders, and all were grayish-blue and pale as the grave. One clasped across his face, its fingers a mask that prevented anyone from getting a clear look at what lay beneath.

A black long-sleeved shirt clung to his thin frame and the red sneakers he wore beneath his black pants stood out like blood. His entrance into the USJ by itself was enough to demand everyone's attention.

And he wasn't alone.

More menacing figures began pouring out of the dark portal, and Akiko craned her neck to try and get a closer look. "Hey, wait, has training started already?" Kirishima said from beside her. "I thought we were going to be rescuing people?"

Akiko took one look at the ghastly man below and shook her head uneasily. "I don't think this is part of the lesson…" she whispered.

Midoriya started to step forward when Aizawa stopped him. "Stay back!" He barked, not daring to turn away from the intruders as he put on his goggles. "This isn't some game! Those are real villains, and all of you are in over your heads, so let us handle this!"

As he spoke, the tide of intruders continued, each new face more intimidating than the last. Aside from the man with the hands along his body, one stood out above the rest as it came out of the fog beside him.

It towered over the other villains, a deformed, humanoid monster that was more of a walking mass of muscle than anything else. Its body was covered in torn, black skin, revealing bulging red muscle fibers that somehow didn't bleed despite their exposure. Its brain was exposed on top of its head, with large, soulless eyes staring aimlessly ahead as its beaked mouth hung slightly agape, revealing the nightmarish set of jagged teeth within.

The slim man it emerged alongside raised a hand, and only then did it stop moving.

Only then did Akiko feel her stomach sink. Her heartbeat hitched in her throat. Jomei traded a look between her and the monster below and moved closer to her side, the rest of Class 1-A rooted in place by Eraserhead's words.

Mere moments ago she was looking forward to learning how to best save people, to learn how to be a real hero… but she didn't know that who they'd be learning to save that day was themselves.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Well **_**this **_**was an eventful chapter, eh? We go from the direct aftermath of the break-in, to reasoning why only-one-parent syndrome continues to plague Jomei, to the second week at U.A. leading into the USJ! As you may have imagined, all of these choices were made for their own reasons.**

**The first, with Nezu (also I tried working in the 'if you give a mouse a cookie' line **_**so freaking bad, **_**but I digress), I will say that I took inspiration for the scene from someone else. Namely, the author of Torchbearer, an Izuku-with-Quirk AU fic. Their name is Btn29 and I **_**highly **_**recommend you read their fic! They inspired my rendition of that scene… and the implications therein… *spooky hand motions.***

**The second and third are comparatively simple decisions. I wanted to further explain why the press never spoke about the break-in in canon and Present Mic's media know-how, plus Haruto's status as a minor celebrity, all added up into an easy solution to write that away. It also explains why Jomei's dad isn't around right now. Poor anime protag syndrome. And the USJ was moved to week two both because of Jomei's training being worked into the timeline and the fact I feel like all of season 1 happening in **_**three days**_** as it did in canon was a bit… uh… a bit fast-paced, if you ask me. Then again that's just time in anime for ya, eh?**

**Then again that's just time in anime for ya, eh? Regardless! I look forward to showing you all the start of the hectic happenings that will be the USJ incident next time! Cheers!**


	13. Encounter With the Unknown

Out of all the things Akiko had expected to witness during a training exercise, _real villains _were not one of them. In as short a time as it took Eraserhead to proclaim that the intruders before them were the real deal, the excitement she'd felt at meeting Thirteen and seeing the USJ evaporated. Instead, it was replaced with dread and a sinking feeling in her stomach, her body petrified as the severity of the situation truly began to hit her.

Here she and Class 1-A were, standing around with merely a long flight of steps between them and people who wouldn't think twice about killing a class of heroes-in-training.

It was only when the peril they'd been placed in registered that Akiko's senses returned to her. She felt her hands tremble for a moment longer before they balled themselves into fists seemingly of their own accord, habitually putting pressure into her palms. A moment later, she noticed Jomei's presence by her side, and her fear began to transform into resolve.

Yes, Class 1-A was in danger, but letting herself stand around in shock wasn't going to help anyone. They were villains, yes, but this _was what she had trained for,_ right? To defend herself and others no matter how terrifying or unexpected the scenario may have been. It was normal to feel some fear, she told herself, but she couldn't let it rule her. It was do or die time, and keeping a level head now could mean the difference between life and death.

"...kiko? Akiko, you there?" Jomei asked. Evidently he'd been trying to grab her attention while she was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Given the circumstances though, who could blame her?

She shook her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here."

"We're going to get through this, okay? We've got this."

She glanced at him and wondered if he was trying to reassure her or himself more. She responded with as much confidence and calm as she could muster in return. "I know."

His amber eyes continue to stare at her for a few moments longer, but she focused her attention on Eraserhead, and what little she could see amidst the commotion down in the central plaza. She didn't have to strain her ears to hear what was being said though, as the villains' voices managed to carry through the massive building with ease.

A deep voice echoed through the void below. "Odd… the only real heroes here are Eraserhead and Thirteen, which I must say is quite the unexpected turn of events indeed. The schedule we retrieved noted that All Might should have been here, as well, did it not?"

"So that's what the incident on Monday was about? You just used the press as a cover to sneak onto campus?" Eraserhead said.

Kyoka's brow furrowed. "Wait, so that's what that whole rave was about?"

Their inquiries went unanswered, and the villain with unkempt hair took a step forward, tilting his head an almost imperceptible amount. "Huh… that is weird, but where is he then? I brought so many friends to _meet him._ They want All Might, the 'Symbol of Peace,' and he isn't here… what a crappy raid boss. Maybe if we take down some ads the big bad will come out to play?" He wondered, his voice thin and unsteady.

"Wait, so how can these be real villains?" Kirishima asked under his breath. "How could so many of them make it into a secure U.A. facility like this without a problem?"

Yaoyorozu stepped up beside him. "Agreed. Thirteen? Why aren't the alarms going off?"

"Good question…" They hummed, "And I'm not quite sure…"

"Does this mean the entire school's under attack?" Todoroki added, "Or is the USJ their only target? Either way, if the alarm sensors aren't going off, one of the villains must have a Quirk that's either blocking them or masking their presence here entirely. They chose _this _facility to attack when a class was being taught, and they must have chosen it for a reason. Whether that reason is its isolated location on campus or something else, it doesn't matter. They're foolish for trespassing here, but they've clearly thought about this and when would be the best to strike – and if Eraserhead's right, they've been lying in wait since the press incident earlier."

Kyoka followed Todoroki's line of sight to the advancing villains. "You hit all the right notes there, but the fact that they've been planning this thing beat by beat _isn't a good thing. _We can admire their planning skills later, but right now we need to get a fix on things – they wouldn't just come here for kicks, so what's their goal?"

Eraserhead subtly looked back at his students for a moment. "Thirteen. Evacuate everyone and alert the main campus about what's going on here," he started. "Though on second thought, if they're blocking our alarms then they're probably blocking normal lines of communication as well… Kaminari?"

"Already on it, sir!" Denki immediately replied, fiddling with the radio on his ear.

"Good, you know what to do then. Find a signal if you can and call for help." He took another step forward towards the stairs.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Jomei interrupted, "What are you going to do, fight them? Sir, I know you're a pro but there's not just a few guys down there."

"Yeah!" Midoriya said, evidently wanting to warn Eraserhead too. "Eraserhead's fighting style is stealthy hit-and-run tactics that leave your opponents tied up. It's good for fighting one opponent, but not a group scenario where your Quirk will be stretched extra thin…"

Eraserhead continued towards the stairs. "Then take note. You can't be a pro if you only have one trick. Thirteen? I'll leave the rest to you – protect my kids!"

With a nod from the Space Hero, Eraserhead was off, leaping down stories' worth of stairs in moments before charging headlong into the villains. A group of three stood confidently at the forefront of the crowd, raising their gun-like features to deliver a swift end to their quarry – or so they thought. Eraserhead nullified their Quirks and entangled one in his scarves, throwing them in the air before crashing them right back down into their allies. A villain with four arms and stony skin stepped up next, and though his Quirk couldn't be nullified, a punch to the face and an encounter with Eraserhead's scarves sent him flying regardless.

Akiko looked on at the display, not as frozen by fear as she was awe at what a single Pro Hero could do even when so heavily outnumbered. Unfortunately, her gawking made her miss out on what was happening immediately around her.

"Hey!" Jomei called, "Come on! We've gotta go!"

She turned around, noticing that the majority of Class 1-A had begun running back towards the entrance. She gave one final look over her shoulder at Eraserhead before running to join Jomei, a cold feeling settling in her gut before she willed herself to move.

"It feels like we're just leaving him to the wolves…" She admitted.

"I know, it sucks, but we've just gotta trust Eraserhead, you know? He's a pro, so he probably knows that this is the best thing we can do right now," Jomei reasoned.

As they continued running, Akiko settled into agreement with her friend. It may not have completely removed the guilt she felt for leaving Eraserhead behind, but she had to trust him. Now wasn't the time to dawdle and question orders, not in a situation where lives could be lost if they weren't careful. And besides, with any luck, everything would be under control soon and-

No. No, of course, it wouldn't.

A dark portal appeared between the students and escape, and their progress ground to a halt. The portal rose and a purple fog with glowing yellow eyes took a vaguely humanoid shape before them. The mysterious fog villain had intercepted them, which hopefully only meant that Eraserhead must have blinked – his Quirk's only flaw. She couldn't accept the possibility that he had lost the fight.

"I'm afraid that there will be no escape for you," he declared. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I would like to extend the sentiment to include my master, Shigaraki Tomura, but he tends not to be as… cordial as I."

"So who would _you_ be then, villain?" Thirteen demanded.

"Hm, yes, I was getting to that. I am Kurogiri, and we are the League of Villains. I'm aware it's woefully impolite to invite ourselves into this facility, but we wished to say hello. Besides… wouldn't you say that a haven of heroism would be a fitting resting place for the Symbol of Peace?" Kurogiri proposed, his ethereal eyes seeming to smile with his words.

_'No way…'_ Akiko thought, _'He's the strongest hero there is… there's no way they could've figured out a way to kill him… right?'_

In a flash, everyone began to realize why the villains were there. Eyes widened and mixed murmurs of unease and disbelief rumbled through the class. Kyoka and Denki threw wary looks towards Jomei and Akiko, which the pair returned in kind.

"Truly, we expected him to be here today, and yet I see no sign of him. There must have been a change in plans that we could not have foreseen… oh well."

The dark fog of his body expanded, spreading wide like ethereal arms ready to ensnare the students. At the same time, Thirteen uncapped a finger, ready to use their Quirk at a moment's notice to ensure the trainees' safety.

Kurogiri's eyes narrowed. "My role to play in this sordid affair remains unchanged."

And that was when Kirishima and Bakugo charged, interrupting whatever the villain had planned with a hardened fist and an explosion that sent the fog flying away from their peers. For a moment, before the dust settled, it looked like that was that.

"What'd you think was gonna happen, bud? We're heroes-in-training, we aren't gonna let you tear this place apart without a fight!" Kirishima grinned wildly.

Unfortunately, things were never that simple. Not in the real world.

"You truly do live up to your school's expectations," Kurogiri continued. In mere moments, his gaseous body reformed, obscuring what looked like a trio of metal plates forming a 'neck' of sorts beneath it all. "But you should be careful, children. You never quite know who's going to get _hurt_ in a situation like this."

"Both of you, get out of the way, right now!" Thirteen ordered.

But it was too late. Black fog rushed out from the core of the villain's body, spreading like a plague and swallowing what little light the USJ had retained as everyone fought to stay on their feet.

"I will scatter you all across this facility, to meet my comrades, _and your deaths!_" He declared.

"What the hell is this!?" Kirishima shouted.

The fog continued to grow. It buffeted Akiko even as she desperately tried to brace herself against the maelstrom, blinding her to all but the arms she shielded herself with. Even so, she knew that if Kurogiri had appeared out of nowhere and was threatening to scatter them, that must have meant he had some kind of warping Quirk. If he had a warping Quirk, that meant he could very well make do on his threat, and so, she put a priority on trying to stick to the person closest to her when the warp inevitably came.

Jomei beat her to the punch. The next thing Akiko felt was the sensation of an incredibly warm hand as it intertwined with one of her own. She squinted, making out the vague outline of her friend, wreathed in glowing gases, as he used his free arm to weather the storm.

Their eyes met through it all and Jomei gave her hand a squeeze. Akiko returned it, her heart pounding as she prepared herself for whatever came next.

And then the ground fell out from under them.

* * *

Jomei's stomach lurched as he gripped Akiko's hand. They were being pummelled on all sides with what felt like sheets of icy rain as they fell through darkness straight towards the downpour zone. In a different situation, he might have taken time to notice the frightening height they were falling from or the utter size of this place, but as the ground barrelled towards them, he knew they were about to die if they didn't break their fall somehow. He stole a glance at Akiko, her hand still clutched in his, and could tell from the cold fear and resolve on her face that she knew the danger they were in too.

Slowing down was simple enough for him. It may have been a costly use of his Quirk, but he could prevent his own untimely death by expelling his gases beneath him, canceling out his momentum to land safely. Akiko didn't have the same luxury, but he'd grabbed onto her to make sure they would both be safe, and he wasn't about to let go now.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

"Stay close. I have to let go of you for a few seconds to use my Quirk!" He shouted.

"Don't worry about me!" Akiko quickly returned, blue hair whipping around her face.

"What!?"

"Just save yourself, I'll be fine! There's no time to argue!"

"And how are you going to be a Pro Hero someday if I do that?" Jomei shouted. He tightened his hold on her one last time and prepared to use his Quirk. "You better not die, you hear me?!" he choked out.

"Right!" She nodded, her eyes impossibly wide.

Their mutual grip was released right as they began descending past the downpour zone's tallest buildings, and Jomei quickly angled himself feet-first to the ground and sent a quick prayer to whoever would listen that he'd time the use of his Quirk right. Too early and he'd be too far up to fall safely and would just be wasting his energy. Too late and… well, he wouldn't be much of _anything _at that point.

_'Wait for it… wait for it… _now!_'_

He felt his hands thrum with the familiar warm sensation of his Quirk's activation, and the change in speed was immediately apparent. Newton's third law kicked into high gear as he expelled condensed gas at just-as-high speeds, and the wind that was roaring past his face during his descent finally began to waver. He saw that he was closing in on the final few meters between him and the ground, and his descent reached a snail's pace not a moment too soon. Just as quickly as he felt his arms twitch in response to his expulsions, he cut off the stream and landed safely in the flooded street below.

Though his arms were protesting their treatment, Jomei took solace in the fact that, by his approximation, he still had around two-thirds of his gases' reserves left. It may have been a technique his Quirk wasn't suited for, but at least his gambit had paid off.

Quickly, he whirled around and wreathed himself in his Quirk, ready to enter Light Speed and _book it _so that he could catch Akiko – or at least break her fall somehow.

Fortunately, she was several steps ahead of him on the matter.

Water surged forth from the street in a spiral formation, and before Jomei could do so much as even question what was happening, it froze. Not a moment later, Akiko appeared and landed on the makeshift slide, her descent slowing to something far more survivable before she hopped off the structure at its end. One wave of her hand and a small exhale later, and the spiral disappeared, returning to the waters from whence it came.

It was at that moment that her change in appearance finally registered. Blue hair, blue eyes of different shades, and a blue crystal core – all evident of the last of her practiced modes.

_'Sapphire mode… right.' _he thought, his breath punching out in relief.

Jomei let the gases around him dissipate before briskly jogging over to meet her as she walked towards him. Upon intercepting one another, they randomly started to walk in the direction Akiko had come from.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I just never thought I'd have to do something like that."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Never even tried."

He blinked and shook his head. "Right, uh, nevermind that right now though. We need to find a way out of here and get back to Thirteen and the others."

"Agreed. I couldn't get a good look at where exactly we were falling, but I think we're right in the middle of the downpour zone," she observed, "...with no clue where the exit is."

Jomei shrugged. "I mean… it could be worse – a villain could've found us by now."

"_Hey,_ lookie what I found here…" The ominous female voice was definitely not Akiko's.

Gas coated Jomei on instinct as he spun around, one hand ready to lash out with his Quirk in an instant as the other moved towards Akiko. He ignored the feeling of her glare drilling a hole into the side of his head, for the moment.

The villain brandished a knife high and proud. "What do ya know, it's our lucky day! Two U.A. brats ripe for the picking! Hey, boys-!"

A massive ethereal arm rushed forward and bashed the villain into the ground before she knew what hit her, knocking her out cold. The appendage didn't linger for long, though it stopped to throw a thumbs up before it retreaded back towards a nearby dark alley.

Akiko and Jomei merely looked at each other and blinked.

And that was when Tokoyami stepped into view.

"It's comforting to see that I'm not the only one here," he said, "but I'd suggest taking into account all imperceptible motes of uncertainty before choosing to stroll idly through darkness."

"Uh… thanks? I think?" Jomei said.

Tokoyami turned back towards the alley. "Join me in shadow – we must take account of the situation discreetly. And be rid of your Quirk's coat. It'll do us no favors in keeping our location secret."

"He's right," Akiko agreed, and she moved to join him.

"I know," Jomei sighed, deactivating his Quirk.

Without further ado, the duo quickly found themselves alongside Tokoyami in his hiding place between two garbage bins. It was damp and waterlogged, just like the rest of the zone, but it was just narrow enough that any villains that passed by would likely miss them entirely.

They couldn't stay there forever, but it'd do.

"Firstly, what do we know about our adversaries?" Tokoyami asked.

"Well, we know what the fog villain's Quirk is, for starters," Akiko answered.

"Kurogiri's?" Jomei hummed, "You're not wrong. We don't know the exact details of it, but we do know that it's a warping Quirk. It might've been the key to them getting into the USJ, but that isn't the most important thing right now."

"Indeed. Another prudent detail relevant to our situation is that we're still missing vital information. Any other villains that may be spearheading this assault may also possess powerful Quirks – ones that we know nothing about," Tokoyami discerned.

"And they're here to kill All Might…" Akiko added softly.

Jomei felt a chill run down his spine. That wasn't supposed to be possible. All Might was unstoppable – there wasn't a single person alive that could possibly outmatch his speed, strength, endurance and so much more, and yet the villains seemed sure of their capability to do so.

"We put our faith in Eraserhead. We've got to do the same for All Might. He's never let us down before, right?" He finally continued.

Akiko looked into his eyes, then to the ground, then back to him. She nodded, and Jomei knew that she'd set aside her concerns – anxious as she could be sometimes, she knew what was at stake right now. Her head was in the game now, and that was what mattered. "Okay, so… we also know that we're outnumbered. That villain Dark Shadow took out was calling out to people before, remember?"

"Which begets another inquiry – how badly are we outnumbered?" Tokoyami observed. "Furthermore, we must consider the legality of our actions. Self-defense though we may be employing in to protect ourselves, we must tote the fine line between ensuring our survival and needlessly injuring our quarries."

"**You do realize I probably dusted that chick's depth perception for the next few weeks though, right?" **Dark Shadow asked, its head popping out from its owner's stomach.

"Go and scout for an exit, Dark Shadow," Tokoyami deadpanned.

The sentient Quirk harrumphed but said nothing more, slithering low and through the water before beginning to monitor the zone outside the alleyway for villains and an escape route alike.

"We don't know how outnumbered we really are, that's for sure, but you're right. Self-defense isn't illegal, but we need to be careful not to hurt the villains too badly without express permission to fight back," Akiko agreed.

"Trust me, I wasn't planning on it," Jomei assured her, finding it hard to tear his eyes from her.

It wasn't the first time the thought ran through Jomei's head since the villains had shown up, but his mother's warning of caution from back during their training session was given yet another repeat in the back of his mind. Amongst other things she'd said.

"Right now though, what we need is a plan." He finished, brushing aside some of his wet hair.

Akiko nodded. "Yeah. Everyone's separated, but right now we need to focus on getting ourselves out of here alive. Hopefully everyone else will watch each other's backs."

"You're talking about Kyoka and Denki, aren't you?"

She nodded again. The concern wasn't lost on him either – the not knowing if his friends were okay or not only grated on his nerves even more after everything that had just happened, but Akiko did have a point. Class 1-A was comprised of the best aspiring heroes Japan had to offer, and even if Denki and Kyoka were separated, the least he could expect would be for whoever his friends had ended up with to watch their backs. It wasn't nearly as comforting a thought as seeing them safe and sound would be, but it'd have to do.

"I'm afraid that our plan can't be as simple as merely fighting our way out," Tokoyami interjected.

"What do you mean?" Jomei asked.

"Do you recall how I requested you withdraw your Quirk's scintillating display?"

"Yeah…? Where are you going with this?"

Tokoyami raised a finger. "Allow me to elaborate. All Quirks possess inherent weaknesses and pitfalls, and Dark Shadow is no different. The reason I was able to thoroughly dismantle the lone villain beforehand was because Dark Shadow's strength depends on luminosity – or the lack thereof. More darkness and the more powerful yet simultaneously unruly Dark Shadow will become. More light… and no matter how powerful Dark Shadow was beforehand, it shall quickly become too weak and timid to be any more useful than a housepet."

"So you're trying to get us to avoid stepping on each other's feet?" Akiko surmised.

"Indeed, but what's more, I desire to know what each of you can do in order to do so – the details of your Quirks, so to speak." Tokoyami clarified.

"So I'm going to assume that I should start, huh?" Jomei assumed.

"Should you desire."

He nodded. "Well, I guess we should start with my beam attacks. I've got two – my Neon Beams and my Phosphor Beams."

"And the difference?"

"Neon Beams are tighter and less impactful, but give off less light and I can use them more easily. Phosphor Beams are way better at dealing with guys that can take a hit, but produce more light and they take more energy and focus to use."

Tokoyami nodded in understanding and consideration, and Jomei continued.

"Right now I've also got two other techniques. Light Speed you should've already seen during the battle trials, I think. I surround myself with gas and use it to break through the air and move around quick – I don't think I can go as fast as Iida, but it lets me run faster than a lot of people in class. And go figure, it also gives off a lot of light."

Tokoyami's eyes narrowed. "And the final technique?"

Jomei sighed. "I was hoping to keep this a secret, but… I have this new one called Flashbang. If you've heard of what a police flashbang is, you know exactly what mine is, aside from the sound my version makes instead."

"Hm… might I recommend you refrain from overindulging in the use of your stronger beams and latter two techniques? The less Dark Shadow is exposed to light, the more likely my presence as your ally won't quickly become a liability," Tokoyami advised.

"You got it," Jomei confirmed, "Using my Phosphor Beams too much would just be a pain anyway since we don't know how many tough guys are going to be in our way. That and the fact my gas reserves can run out. Better safe than sorry, you know?"

"It's an appreciated gesture, given the incompatibility of our Quirks," Tokoyami thanked. His attention then turned to Akiko, who was looking down with a thoughtful look on her face.

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "If light's an issue, I don't think my Quirk will be a problem. I can just refrain from using ruby mode since that's the only one that produces light. I'll just stick to sapphire mode." She tapped on her blue core. "Since we're in a zone full of water it'll make the most of what we have around us without getting in your way."

"Hmm…" Tokoyami rumbled. "Beneficial though that might be for me, wouldn't such widespread use of your Quirk prove detrimental to you? I was under the impression you exercise moderation in all of your martial forms to avoid fracturing your Quirk's namesake."

Jomei listened with surprise but Akiko didn't seem to pay any mind to Tokoyami's knowledge of her Quirk. The fact he knew of her limits meant that Iida, Kyoka, or Denki must've spilled the beans during her and Jomei's battle trial, but that didn't really matter. In all honesty, it'd never matter, given how their lives were on the line and time was of the essence right now.

"Not in this case. Sapphire mode's the most dynamic in terms of versatility and strain control of my Quirk's modes. So long as I stay focused, I should be able to be really flexible and fight for a bit longer than I could if I were using any of my other modes, which is a nice bonus considering we don't know how long we'll be fighting," she noted.

"Just another thing to be careful about," Jomei added. "If this goes on too long and we don't get out of here, it doesn't matter how careful we are – my light's going to hurt Dark Shadow, I'm going to run out of gas, and you're going to hit your limit. So we've got to play smart and make a proper plan for when we have to fight."

"An astute observation," Tokoyami agreed.

Dark Shadow came slithering back through the water and 'stood' next to its owner. **"Hey, so if you guys are done sitting around waiting to prune, I found an exit. Keep following against the flow of the water and you should find the door."**

"Thanks, Dark Shadow," Jomei said.

"**No problem! Dark Shadow, out!"** It declared, disappearing into Tokoyami's chest a moment later.

"Then we have our path to escape this zone's clutches. As for our battle plan? I shall stick to the alleyways parallel to the route towards our exit so that Nishimura may use his Quirk as he deems fit." He looked at Jomei. "So long as you call out your attacks so that I may call back Dark Shadow and protect him within my shroud, I believe we should be able to accommodate for our lack of synergy."

Jomei didn't hesitate. "Gotcha. So Akiko and I act as bait and fight what we can, you ambush and go over the top. We all support each other, and we get out of this just fine."

"And after we get out?" Akiko proposed.

"I say that we try and get me out of the USJ. We have no way of telling if Iida escaped Kurogiri's Quirk, and I can still run faster and farther than anyone else here. If all goes according to plan, I can at least try and run to get help before things get any worse."

"_If _being the key word. That established, it's an effective plan given the innumerable unknowns conspiring against us." Tokoyami stood. "Shall we, then?"

Jomei looked at his companions as they set out, his gaze lingering on Akiko a moment longer than their impromptu teammate.

"Yeah, sounds good to me," he said, moving in front of them. "Everyone ready?"

He saw them nod out of his peripheral vision, and he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, they flared with light as he began leading them onward.

"Then it's showtime."

* * *

Denki didn't consider himself a 'smart guy.' He didn't consider himself tactically inclined, a person who had great battle instinct, nor incredible self-awareness. He thought of himself as what he knew he was – a kid with above-average reaction time, a badass Quirk, and a knack for trying to hit on ladies if he thought he had a chance. Even if that lattermost point ended in complete and utter failure almost all the time.

He also wasn't _entirely _an idiot.

He knew that whatever the hell had just happened with Kurogiri, everyone had probably just been split up, he was in danger, and shit was probably gonna get _really _bad, _really _quick. As a result, the second he landed after his multiple-meter fall left him stranded atop the highest peak in the mountain zone, he gave himself a quick once-over. His pants, jacket, and undershirt were all covered in dirt and he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, but overall, he was okay. Now all that was left to do was figure out what exactly he was supposed to do next before things inevitably went downhill.

"I guess I should probably come up with a plan, huh?" Denki thought aloud. "Maybe I should… head back down to the plaza...? No, Eraserhead's fighting there. Wait! No, what were you _just _doing, Denki? Call for help!"

"His observational skills truly do need work, don't they?" someone said.

"You think?" another voice answered.

Denki really hoped no one would notice how girlish his screams were.

"It could be worse though – he could've gotten his face rocked in by your cannonballs." And this time Denki recognized the voice.

He spun around and saw the familiar faces. Yaoyorozu nodded. "You make a fair point. I suppose his reflexes and improvised combat skills do exhibit some potential in their own right, as well. He couldn't be the worst person to be paired with, given our situation."

Denki flailed his arms in their direction. "What!? When the hell did you guys get here?!"

"The same time you did, Denki," Kyoka deadpanned.

"We saw you atop the closest incline to us when we landed and thought it more effective to join you if we're to get out of this alive. I'd advise that you keep your voice down, though. We have no idea where additional villains may be, and Kurogiri did imply that his associates would be waiting here for us," Yaoyorozu added.

Denki felt his stomach sink. How could he have forgotten that little tidbit? It was great that he wasn't alone anymore, but that didn't change the fact they were three students against _who knows _how many villains below. They were horribly outnumbered, and they all knew it.

On the bright side, he was teaming up with two cute, smart girls from Class 1-A.

_'Eat your heart out, Mineta…'_

He shook his head. "Right. So… what exactly is our plan now? If there are villains all around us, if I focus on calling for help, aren't I just going to get myself killed?"

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Yaoyorozu countered. "I harbor no ill will against either of you for what happened during our battle trial, and as such I'm going to devote myself fully to ensuring our safety. If that means holding the villains at bay while you attempt to reach the outside world, then so be it."

"We do have the high ground…" Kyoka pondered. She then looked up at Yaoyorozu. "But that doesn't change the fact that we're still unarmed. I don't think the groupies below are going to be nice enough to put down their knives when they see we are, high ground or not."

"Then we arm ourselves. What's your preferred weapon? I presume you have some kind of weapons training judging by your performance against me before."

"A machete. Any kind will do – should be good enough to keep the grunts busy."

Yaoyorozu's arm glowed and she produced the weapon in question. A long steel rod followed shortly thereafter that she took into her own hand, and the two girls moved for the cliff's edge, observing the area for any nearby villains. Denki would've questioned how exactly Kyoka knew how to wield an _actual machete,_ but seeing as she showed her prowess against Yaoyorozu before, he elected to instead keep his mouth shut. That, and admire the view a little bit.

_'Priorities, Denki… less ogling, more not dying.'_

"I trust you know how to work your radio, Kaminari?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Yeah," he said, crouching down. He could still see where the girls were looking clearly, and the same was probably true for the villains, but it didn't hurt to minimize his profile anyway. No reason to make himself an easy target, after all.

"I'll get right on it." He'd be lying if he said he wasn't genuinely worried for Kyoka and Yaoyorozu – and Jomei and Akiko, for that matter – but he wasn't going to let it seep into his voice. From the look Kyoka gave him though, he had an idea that she had the same concerns for everyone's safety going through her head too, even if she'd never admit it. Or so he assumed. She was good at hiding her emotions beneath her unenthusiastic demeanor, sometimes, but he liked to think he was getting better at telling what she was thinking.

"Good. As soon as you get rocking on that radio thing we can get this gig sorted out, alright?" Kyoka said, trying to feign irritation.

Hell, maybe he really was getting better at reading her.

He reached a hand up to his radio, fed it the electricity it needed to function, and set to work on finding them a signal, smiling to himself as he did so.

_'You got it, Kyoka… you've got my back, now all I've gotta do is get us some help.'_

* * *

Minutes passed after Denki had begun fiddling with his radio, and Kyoka was left repressing the urge to let slip any more of her frustrations and concerns than she figured Denki had already picked up on. Woman-chaser and overall dumbass he could be sometimes, he wasn't incapable of reading what people were feeling, and Kyoka wasn't dense enough to believe that his social acuity didn't also extend to her. Thus, she knew that Denki probably saw through her normal lack of enthusiasm and saw exactly what she felt beneath it all as a result. She was just lucky that Yaoyorozu hadn't known her long enough to be capable of doing the same.

She wasn't the type to fret and stress out over the small things, but if someone treated her with respect and wasn't _entirely _irredeemable, she would quickly find herself caring for them in her own special way. She'd never outright state what she felt for her friends, as most would know that she was never the type to outright state what she thought of them, but she'd still put their well-being at the top of her priority list in a crisis. Since a small militia's worth of villains invading a U.A. facility qualified, in her opinion, as a crisis scenario, that meant she wanted to keep them safe.

Despite the fact Kurogiri had scattered them all to the wind in an instant did little to alleviate her concerns, however, she quickly surmised that she needed to stay focused. If she could protect Denki, he could get help, and if he could get help, that meant Akiko and Jomei would be that much more likely to emerge unscathed – just like her, Yaoyorozu, and Denki.

And on the off chance Denki couldn't call for help? Well, they'd just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

Speaking of the Electrification Quirk user, she also hoped that he didn't see the _other _thoughts that were going through her head at the moment.

Kyoka wasn't the kind of girl to go weak at the knees at the first sign of a guy that ticked her proverbial boxes, but she wasn't a fool concerning her own emotions either. She knew that she was into the kind of guy that could stay cool during a disaster and look badass while doing so, and what do you know, Denki met that qualification... kind of. When he wasn't yelping like a girl in junior high when he was surprised, he genuinely did seem to have a heart of gold beneath his vain attempts to look cool. Honestly, Kyoka found that the times Denki tried the least to look cool were the times he was the _coolest_, and what he was doing right now to try and save Class 1-A was one of those cases.

Of course, none of that would matter if Kyoka didn't _pay the hell attention _and keep an eye and earlobe-jacked ear out for any incoming villains.

Since no villains were showing up in her or Yaoyorozu's line of sight, she let one of her appendages descend to her feet before she jabbed it into the ground. Her eyes closed, and she focused her hearing on the small ridges just a few dozen meters beyond the cliff, putting her faith in Yaoyorozu to be their eyes, for the moment. The first few seconds she picked up nothing but the sound of dust moving in the wind and pebbles rolling down the mountainside, and then-

_'Bingo.'_

The sounds were half-whispers, half-yells being shared between two villains deciding where to strike. Straining her Quirk further, she could pick up on the heartbeats of more than two individuals hiding beyond the ridge. She couldn't tell exactly how many were located there, but she didn't have to. What mattered was that she knew where they were, and by the sound of things, they were getting ready to move.

She reeled in her earlobe jacks and opened her eyes to send a look towards Yaoyorozu. Her friend's grip on her steel rod was tighter than when Kyoka had last looked, so she must've already suspected something was afoot.

Kyoka adjusted her own grip on her machete and spoke quietly. "Get ready. They're behind that ridge below us and getting ready to get this show on the road."

"Understood. Do you have any idea how many there are? Any information that may help us when they do charge?" Yaoyorozu asked.

She shook her head. "All I know is that there's gonna be more than two of them and that they don't sound like they're here for us to do some crowd surfing. They didn't sound like they were on the same page though, so at least we have that going for us."

"Possible discourse among the League of Villains…?" Yaoyorozu trailed off. Kyoka noticed the girl's brow furrow somewhat in thought, but their time was up.

And predictably enough, the villains didn't even attempt to hide their advance. The moment one of them came charging out of their hiding spot, several more followed, and they were all making their way towards their targets as quickly as the incline would allow. The two students on guard could only brace themselves for when they arrived.

"They truly do lack subtlety, don't they?" Yaoyorozu idly cited.

"Something like that," Kyoka returned. "Watch my back?"

"I was about to ask you to do the same. Let's not forget our objective, however – protect Kaminari so he can hopefully call for help."

Kyoka's eyes narrowed as a pair of villains nearly reached where they were standing guard.

"You got it."

"And I've got _**you!**_" A villain declared, leaping into the air and wielding an oversized mallet aimed right for Kyoka's head.

As another villain ran straight for Yaoyorozu, Kyoka's quarry came crashing to the ground, and she rolled out of the way of the mallet just in time to avoid being squashed.

He laughed a high-pitched, unstable laugh. "This is gonna be _fun, _hehehehe!"

Without hesitation, he hefted the mallet over his shoulder and began a gleeful dash in Kyoka's direction, an unnaturally wide grin on his face the entire time. When he finally reached her and made a show of a needlessly long windup for his next swing, Kyoka took full advantage of the opening that left her. She swiped her machete along the wooden handle of the mallet, splitting it and two and leaving the villain with nothing more than a stump as a weapon.

His smile fell. "Well that isn't very fu-"

An elbow to the face knocked him right out.

"Alright girl!" A far more gruff voice called to her, "Now that you've messed with The Bull's friends, you're gonna get The Bull's _horns, _ya dig?"

Kyoka quickly turned to face her new foe. He had short, bright red hair, black bull horns, and was dressed as the most disheveled-looking businessman-turned-wrestler she'd ever seen. She would've wondered why thugs always looked dumb if she wasn't in a do-or-die scenario. At the same time, Yaoyorozu seemed to be making short work of her own opponents nearby.

She fought the urge to smirk. "So you gonna just stand there or do you want me to get a red cape?"

"_That's it,_ you asked for it! The Bull is _coming _for _you!_" He roared.

The stone beneath her feet rumbled as the villain charged for her with unexpected speed, and Kyoka scrambled to think fast. She wasn't about to stab him, and he wasn't wielding a weapon her machete would be useful to parry, which left her one option – block the man's _built-in_ weaponry. Charging headfirst into battle wasn't always a wise choice, even if you did have horns to make use of.

She turned her machete, blunt side facing forward, pressed her free hand's palm against the side facing her, and braced for impact. There was no time to dodge, and she still had Denki to think about.

Kyoka's arms thrummed and her blade rang with the impact, and for a moment she thought she'd stopped the villain's attack entirely. Then she felt herself beginning to slide backward, her arms straining and her feet struggling for purchase in the rocks, and she saw the villain's smile grow wild.

"You can _slow down _The Bull, but you can't stop him! The Bull's Quirk makes him _unstoppable!_" He taunted, slamming his leg back into the ground to try and throw Kyoka off-balance.

She held her ground, and this time, let her confidence show in her expression. Why did villains always feel the need to brag about their Quirks?

"You said you're unstoppable, huh? Maybe I believe you," she started, and began to adjust the angle of her blade, "But that doesn't mean you're invincible!"

Sidestepping, her machete making an audible _shing _as it left his horns. The Bull's Quirk kicked back into full gear in an instant, and unabated, all the thwarted momentum came rushing back.

The result was one villain flying at ludicrous speed off the mountainside and into a nearby cliff, and one punk rocker student left completely unscathed.

"My turn!" A new challenger called.

For the moment.

Kyoka whirled around once again, but the werewolf-looking villain didn't wait for a verbal exchange to attack. They fell onto all fours and pounced, razor-sharp claws racing towards Kyoka faster than she could react-

Only for the villain to meet a stern vault-kick from Yaoyorozu that sent him flying sideways towards the cliff's edge. After she finished her vault over her steel rod, Yaoyorozu took a defensive posture next to Kyoka, looking slightly disheveled, but none the worse for wear due to her end of the battle. Meanwhile, the canine villain was still recovering from the kick to his head.

"I take it you could use some help?" she asked.

Kyoka shrugged, hiding her relief. "Only if Denki isn't in trouble because you had to save me."

"Not at all. I've taken care of my five enemies – this Heteromorphic-type villain seems to be the only opponent left out of the group that charged us."

'_She took down five villains while I only took down two… ok then, I guess the hype behind recommendation students isn't bogus after all.'_

The canine villain was back on all fours now, having shaken the last dregs of his daze from his mind. They had to come up with something quick.

But the werewolf wasn't even looking at them. His predatory eyes were focused solely on Denki.

Kyoka's heart sank as she realized where their battle had taken them. Where they once started in a position directly in front of Denki to protect him from harm, now they had ended up oriented away from him – which left the villain a clean path straight towards his presumed target.

The two students hardly had time to share a look of grim realization before the villain started racing towards Denki.

There was no time to plan. Only time to act.

Denki did a double-take when he saw what was approaching him. "Uh… guys?!"

Kyoka's heart stuttered. "Yaoyorozu!?"

"I'm on it! Kaminari, dodge!" She ordered.

"_Way _ahead of you!" He yelped, scrambling out of the way of the villain's claws a second before they tore through the ground where he used to be.

Kyoka began running, almost tripping over her feet in her urgency, but the villain was undeterred. It scrambled along the ground before finding its grip again, snarling as its claws ripped the stone underfoot. At the same time, Yaoyorozu's arm glowed and a steel fiber net began to form. As Kyoka ran in between Denki and the villain, it was clear that she'd be torn to shreds if she didn't get out of his way.

"Ready!" Yaoyorozu shouted.

"Then now's the time!" Kyoka returned.

She ducked, and the villain took the bait. He began to leap over his living obstacle to continue his pursuit of his greater target, and Yaoyorozu didn't miss a beat in return. She threw her net with perfect precision at the villain, redirecting him toward the ground in a suddenly tangled mess of flailing limbs, claws, and netting. The weight of his impact cracked the stone where he landed, and as he bounced into the air, Kyoka's earlobe jacks met her stereo boots for the final hit of the impromptu team attack.

"Stay away from my friend!" She shouted. "Heartbeat Fuzz!"

The ensuing sonic storm caused the villain to let out an ear-piercing howl, and the pressure of the waves sent him flying off the mountainside in short order. A dull thud was heard in the distance, and the feral noises of their foe stopped.

Silence filled the air around them.

"Is he going to be alright, do you think?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Kyoka reeled in her earlobe jacks and let her tension dissolve, for the moment. "...Probably."

"That didn't sound so sure."

"I second that opinion," Denki huffed.

Kyoka turned back around to face Denki, finding him climbing back onto his knees from where he'd ended up sprawled on the ground when he dodged. His hands went back up to his radio, the device thankfully intact after all the chaos.

"And hey," he continued, "you called me your friend!"

Kyoka gave him a deadpan look. "Just… keep working on getting us help, Denki."

He gave her what she thought looked like a subtle, knowing look. "Will do. But still… thanks."

'_Stop being cool without meaning to or I'll punch your stupid face.'_

"It's not a problem, Denki," she returned quietly.

"Agreed," Yaoyorozu piped up. "Improvisational attacks in order to keep a target safe are simply one facet of what's necessary to become a pro. That said…" She trailed off.

And just like that, Kyoka had a chance to distract herself from thinking about Denki.

Perfect.

"What's up?" She asked.

"It's nothing, but it could mean something…" Yaoyorozu said. "None of this makes sense."

"You're just realizing this?" Denki halfheartedly snarked.

"Focus on your radio, Denki," Kyoka ordered. She saw him rolling his eyes, but he did as he was told.

"You misunderstand. I don't mean that the situation we find ourselves in isn't bizarre in and of itself. It is, but none of the villains that have attacked us have a tactical advantage in this zone. What's more, the warping Quirk villain, Kurogiri, gave _us _the high ground. It may have been a tactic to render us stranded, but nonetheless, it provides me with an idea. The League of Villains may merely have expected quantity over quality to overwhelm us."

Kyoka entertained the line of thinking further. "Which could mean that the group that attacked us wasn't the only one here…"

"And that they aren't even as coordinated as the ringleaders made them all out to be," Yaoyorozu finished. "If they were a perfectly cohesive unit, there wouldn't be discourse among them as to when to attack us, correct?"

Kyoka nodded. "Yeah. They may have some bogus plan to destroy All Might, but they probably didn't get a full read on what _we're _able to do. Or else they would've more tactically split us up."

"Uh, guys, it's great that the villains aren't flawless, but that doesn't change the fact we need to get out of here alive," Denki intruded.

"What about your radio?"

He shook his head. "I've been trying to get a signal but I can't come up for crap. Eraserhead was right – they've gotta have someone who's jamming everything in here."

Yaoyorozu walked over to the pair. "If we can't use your radio to send for help, then escape would indeed be our best strategy for survival. All that's left now is figuring out how exactly we're going to go about doing so."

Kyoka hummed softly in consideration, only half paying attention to Yaoyorozu as she came closer. She was momentarily concerned for Akiko and Jomei's safety, given their plan to call for help was a bust, but she eventually settled on a cautious hope. If her trio could figure out that escape was a good plan, then hopefully her friends would've come to the same conclusion – or at least Akiko, since she seemed to be the smarter one of the pair. In any case, she was as at ease as she was going to get and she couldn't waste any more time worrying than she already had.

"And if we're going to do that, I have a question for you Kaminari," Yaoyorozu asked. "What weapon do you want me to create for you?"

Denki stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Wait, if your Quirk is literally a vending machine of literally _anything _why can't you make like… a motorcycle or something for us to escape?"

"Her Quirk probably doesn't work like that, Denki," Kyoka sighed. "Every Quirk has limits or restrictions, and I'm sure hers has a bunch of its own."

"An astute observation. I suppose I never did truly explain my Quirk to either of you, did I? Well allow me to elaborate. My Quirk, Creation, allows me to create anything out of the lipids in my body, yes, but it does indeed have its own drawbacks. For starters, I need to know the molecular structure of what I wish to create, and in order to produce the item in question afterward I must understand the intricate production methods that facilitate its normal creation to craft it myself. Not only that, but beyond mere complexity proving a possible issue, my lipids are not an unlimited resource. Although the lipid-to-nonliving-matter ratio is a matter of unequal exchange, allowing me to produce large items, producing something like a car is well beyond my Quirk's current capabilities."

Denki's expression was calm, but what came out of his mouth assured Kyoka for sure that her friend was still, indeed, an idiot.

"That makes sense."

"You didn't understand a word she said, did you?" Kyoka deadpanned.

"Nah… I totally got it!" Denki waved off.

Yaoyorozu sighed. "What matters is that I can't provide us an easy escape – not that the terrain below us would be hospitable to anything short of a mountain bike, which I admit I doubt any of us have experience utilizing."

"And that's why they wouldn't do us much good anyway – the villains we've been fighting might just be goons, but they wouldn't just let us ride out of the zone without a fight," Kyoka added, and she jabbed one of her earlobe jacks into the ground to check for nearby villains.

"Aww… and here I wanted to show off my biking skills."

"Kaminari, have you _ever _performed high-intensity mountain biking or BMX maneuvers before?" Yaoyorozu challenged.

"I rode my bike through the woods and avoided a tree branch I didn't notice at the last second one time. Does that count?" Denki said optimistically.

"You're hopeless…" She lamented quietly.

Kyoka twitched in tandem with her earlobe jack. "Uh, guys? If we're done wasting time, we should probably get Denki a weapon. I'm hearing more villains incoming, and they don't sound happy about us kicking their friends to the curb."

Yaoyorozu nodded and extended her weapon outwards. "Understood. Kaminari? Will a steel rod be adequate enough for you?"

Denki blinked in surprise but took the rod into hand, rolling it around to test its weight. "Uh… sure! Just let me see…"

He pumped his Quirk through the simple implement and it visibly danced with electricity, earning a smile from the weapon's wielder. "Okay! I'll probably only be good at swinging this thing around and poking at villains, but it's better than no weapon, right? Besides, this looks pretty freakin' cool!"

"Congratulations. You're a living, limited-use stun gun hero. Can you just get ready and focus for once?" Kyoka ordered.

"Stun gun hero… huh," Denki pondered, "I'll have to remember that…"

"Kaminari? Are you ready?" Yaoyorozu asked as she and Kyoka began to move.

"Uh, yeah!" He quickly answered.

Before long, they reached the edge of the area where they'd been unceremoniously dumped by Kurogiri. Yaoyorozu created herself a heater shield and police baton to replace her old weapons, and in the distance, they saw a group of villains not too much larger than the wave that had preceded them coming closer. This time, although they numbered three, it did little to assuage the issue of their being outnumbered. There was no denying the value in their objective being escape rather than merely staying put. The mountain zone may have been only a small distance closer to the exit than the downpour zone nearby, but that little detail certainly didn't hurt their chances either.

Though considering the number of cliffs, ridges, and slopes they had between them and the rest of the USJ, that relative proximity to safety meant precious little unless they overcame the villains first.

They all raised their weapons, and Denki twirled his before electrifying it with a grin.

"Alrighty then guys! Who's ready to kick some ass?" He called.

"He doesn't have an off switch, does he?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"No… he doesn't. Just try to ignore it," Kyoka said.

Yaoyorozu nodded and launched herself down the cliffside, and Denki and Kyoka followed suit without hesitation – both to back up their classmate, and take the fight right to the League. U.A. was the best of the best, and they weren't about to take any obstacles between them and their goal lightly.

Plus ultra-style.

* * *

Iida didn't consider himself a paragon. He knew that he was far more obedient to a code of conduct and proper behavior than most of his peers, yes, but so too did he recognize he had a long way to go before being anything like the rest of his family. Even so, he had his principles, and it couldn't be said that he wouldn't adhere to them in even the most dire and sudden of circumstances. As such, when the black fog that comprised Kurogiri's body threatened to consume the entirety of Class 1-A, Iida acted on impulse. Unexpected speed and swift decision-making allowed him to locate, grab onto, and escape the abyssal tide with Sato and Uraraka in tow, though he quickly discovered they were the only members of his class he was able to save.

At least, on his own.

As he hurried to fulfill his duty as class rep and protect his peers, Shoji had acted similarly and selflessly. He may not have had Iida's speed, but he had heart, and didn't hesitate to envelop Sero and Ashido with his webbed arms and huddle to the ground to protect them. In doing so, they too escaped whatever fate had befallen their peers, not that it changed the situation they all found themselves in.

They may have still been beside Thirteen, and outnumbered Kurogiri, but the amount of danger they were in hadn't changed. The villain before them proved that numbers meant nothing when they were dealing with real villains – let alone one as competent as Kurogiri.

As such, neither the students nor Thirteen had dared to move after Kurogiri's attack faded into nothingness. Instead, they all stood grouped behind their Pro Hero instructor, waiting for something to give. In the meantime, Shoji had morphed his additional arms' pods into another pair of eyes and ears, both facing towards the rest of the USJ behind them. Iida quickly picked up on why he was doing so, too.

To figure out what had happened to everyone else.

"Shoji?" Iida asked, not daring to take his eyes off Kurogiri.

"Hm?"

"Have you got a read on them? Anything? What happened to everyone?"

Shoji's extra organs continued to observe behind them for a moment. "They've been scattered across the facility, but our classmates are still here. Unfortunately, it looks like the villains might be in every zone as well – I can't detect anything behind the downpour and conflagration zones' enclosures."

While everyone else breathed sighs of relief, Iida remained stalwart in his expression. "Thank you, Shoji. Your assistance is much appreciated."

"Think nothing of it."

Iida could only nod, then.

"But hey, what do we do here? This guy's immune to physical attacks and can apparently teleport stuff?" Sero wondered. Kurogiri sat ahead, an unmoving and silent void of inscrutable fog between them and the exit.

Thirteen's eyes narrowed. "Class rep."

"Yes?" Iida answered.

"I have a mission for you – get to the school as fast as you can and inform the staff what's going on here. None of our alarms are going off, and our radios and phones are useless as things are now. Even with Eraserhead erasing Quirks left and right, we're still completely isolated. Presumably, whoever's responsible for this interference went to hide as soon as they warped into the USJ. There's no time to find them, not with what's at stake, so it'd just be faster for you to use your Quirk and get us help."

Iida was dumbstruck for a moment. "Y-yes, but it'd be disgraceful of me to leave everyone behind!"

_'Not to mention the fact that my brother, Tensei, _Ingenium,_ would never do such a thing… right?'_

"Now listen here, rep!" Sato intruded, "There's gonna be alarms outside the USJ, right? That's gotta be why they're keeping us trapped in here!"

He stepped in front of Iida, arms up and ready for combat. Sero followed and continued the line of reasoning. "Then that means the villains won't pursue you if we can get you out of here. You'll be home free to get back to U.A. and grab reinforcements! So let's blow this smokey pile of crap away!"

"Remember, Iida! To be a real hero, you need to use your Quirk to save others – and now's your chance to do so!" Thirteen finished.

Shoji too joined the line of defense before Iida, and he was left alone with the realization that Thirteen was _right_. He needed to think of what was right to do in this situation rather than let his heart rule his perception. It didn't make what he had to do next any easier to live with, but it had to be done.

If he wanted to help his classmates, he had to leave them behind and pray they'd be fine on their own.

In other words, he had to have faith.

"Don't worry, Iida! All of us are gonna have your back!" Uraraka declared, and Ashido nodded in affirmation beside her.

He looked at her and adjusted his glasses, his face hardening into an expression of sheer determination. He entered a runner's stance, let his legs' nozzles push out of his calves, and his engines started roaring to life.

"Right. Everyone… thank you," he said quietly.

He wouldn't let them down.

Kurogiri shifted. "Though this may be your only option, strategizing in front of your enemy is _foolhardy!_" he roared, and his gaseous fog flared back to life in curling tendrils that stretched out towards the students.

"It won't matter if you know what we're planning or not!" Thirteen countered. A finger uncapped itself and raised to meet the incoming assault. "_**Black Hole!**_"

A vortex spawned from the abyss of Thirteen's finger, redirecting and consuming Kurogiri's fog within the void. For a few seconds, it even seemed like Thirteen's Quirk held the advantage. Kurogiri's fog couldn't escape the spatial vortex of the spacesuit-wearing hero, and what might've been the core of the villain's body slowly began to be pulled in the hero's direction. If Kurogiri wished to continue the exchange of Quirks as a contest of strength, he was doomed to turn to dust.

Or so Iida thought.

"Impressive…" Kurogiri observed, "Black Hole is indeed an exceedingly powerful Quirk, but the fact of the matter is this, Thirteen… you're a rescue hero. You save people from disasters primarily, and as such your combat abilities are… woefully lacking."

Ashido was the only one to notice the blip of fog that appeared behind Thirteen. She may have not been the brightest bulb in Class 1-A, but she didn't need to know what Kurogiri had planned to know it wasn't good.

So she bowled Thirteen out of the way with not a second to spare.

Where the Pro Hero once stood, a portal opened _within _Thirteen's Quirk, and had Ashido not acted, their instructor might have been disintegrated by their own power.

"Yet still you all resist?!" Kurogiri bellowed, his portal preventing Thirteen and Ashido from moving where they were huddled on the ground.

"Iida, go, now!" Sato ordered.

"Right – _engines!_"

He didn't hesitate, and in the next moment, he accelerated towards the exit, carefully skirting the all-consuming portal Kurogiri had opened.

The movement didn't go unnoticed.

"Do you not think I have eyes? We have come here for All Might, and not a single student nor hero shall escape to bring reinforcements!" He roared.

Kurogiri's vaporous body surged forth to cut off Iida and send him who-knows-where, and it was Uraraka that noticed the metallic neck brace that remained behind, suspended in the air and protected by naught but a thin layer of the fog that the villain utilized.

The only thing that Kurogiri _wouldn't _be able to make immune to physical attacks.

"Sero, do you see it?" Uraraka frantically asked.

"Yep, I'm on it! Sato, have my back!" Sero responded.

"You got it!"

"Shoji, throw me!" Uraraka ordered, and she made herself weightless. She couldn't do it for long without getting sick, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that everyone looked like they were on the same page to help Iida escape.

Three muscular arms and a human-sized weight throw later, and Uraraka reached the villain before he could reach Iida.

"Release!"

Preventing her nausea from mounting, she rolled along the ground, and her fingers met Kurogiri's collar. The villain floated upwards, and his advance on Iida slowed as a result.

"_What!?_" Kurogiri shouted.

"Sero, now!" Uraraka called.

"Clean shot…!" Sero smirked, and a strip of tape stuck Kurogiri on his now-vulnerable weak spot.

Sato instantly grabbed the strip of tape and began to spin, and in seconds he sent Kurogiri flying back towards the plaza below. "...And a home run!"

Iida didn't even spare a glance behind him before bursting out the doors of the USJ.

_'Thank you! Thank you all, I won't let you down!' _He thought.

His engines kicked into high gear, and the wind whipped past his bare face as he ran in the direction of U.A.'s main buildings, but even still, he wouldn't settle for mere high speeds. He needed to go _plus ultra._

"_Engine booost… __**GO!**_" He roared.

His calves _burned. _He wasn't forcing his engines to go fast enough to stall them out, but he was going far faster than he'd been able to ever before. He didn't care about the pain though, nor the deafening sound of his heartbeat in his ears.

All he cared about was fulfilling his duty as class rep.

Which, judging by the look of the towering blond titan that was running towards him from down the road… he might end up being able to do so faster than he could've ever hoped.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So… believe it or not, Season 1 of WFAF is my **_**least **_**planned in terms of the minutiae of what happens in each chapter, so I'm surprisingly pleased with how things have turned out thus far! Especially in this chapter, where not only was most of the action improvised, but it **_**still **_**ended up being the single largest chapter yet in the story!**

**But speaking of action and improv… here are some little notes for fun! **_**Firstly**__** –**_** oorah, Ashido does something! I mean, she **_**is **_**supposed to have good reflexes right? Figured I'd give her something nice to do. Kurogiri's gonna run back to Shiggy either way, so, eh, what harm can her doing something here do? **_**Secondly,**_** and probably more importantly, is the swap from Denki POV to Kyoka. I wanted that part of this chapter to be all Denki, but I kinda just stumbled into the potential and narrative freedom swapping to Kyoka's POV would give me for the ensuing fight rather than have it all be the POV of a guy who's just **_**sitting down**_** on his radio. **_**Lastly…**_** gonna nip the Kamijiro ship speculation in the bud. I ship them hardcore, **_**but…**_** as of right now I merely plan for them to be friends. I don't want to mislead anyone, but I figured that if I **_**did **_**make them a couple I don't wanna half-ass it and have them be a couple just because the OC duo may be doing the same thing. I hope you guys understand my reasoning. I still ship them forever though!**

**Aaaand two last things. One, I'm not good at goon combat, as it turns out. Maybe that'll hopefully improve as time goes on, eh? And lastly, Iida's escape was the single most fun and infuriatingly difficult part of this chapter to write, **_**despite **_**how simple it all is on paper. Capturing chaos seems not to be my strong suit, but I shall endure! Plus ultra…! Or something.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this beefy boy of a chapter and I look forward to continuing the action (and giving some underrated canon characters some time in the spotlight) next time!**


	14. Fight for Your Life

Aizawa was out of his depth.

When Midoriya had observed earlier that his fighting style wasn't suited for use against groups, he wasn't wrong – in fact, he had hit the nail on the head in every single one of his observations. Aizawa may not have been a one-trick-pony, but it didn't change the fact that his Quirk simply wasn't good for the situation he found himself in. As a result of both his night patrols and the use of his Quirk in general, he already had dry eye on a good day, but extended use in any kind of combat only exacerbated the issue.

At the start of his encounter with the villains, he was able to keep his eyes open for thirty seconds, rendering as many villains as he could look at during that time temporarily Quirkless. Take into account his superior martial arts training and capture scarves, and for that short duration, Aizawa had the edge.

But then he started needing to blink more as the fight wore on. Despite his intense training to keep his eyes open for as long as he could to take advantage of his Quirk, what started as thirty seconds turned into twenty-six.

And then twenty-four.

Then twenty-one.

That intangible timer continued to shrink.

_'But luckily…'_

He attached his capture scarves to two nearby light poles and pulled, sending himself high into the air. Another pair of scarves around his neck were then sent downward, tangling the two villains he'd currently engaged around their torsos. Flying towards them, his boots met their chests in a satisfying crunch of fractured bone as his scarves reeled themselves in.

_'Most of these goons I'm fighting seem to be far beyond their depths in their own rights.'_

He took a few seconds to crouch on top of the bodies to recover his breath.

He needed to keep going. Now more than ever, he intended to fulfill his role as a hero. Having noticed Asui, Midoriya, and Mineta in hiding nearby only amplified his resolve. The three students may have thought themselves invisible, but any villain more observant than the grunts Aizawa now fought would notice them if he wasn't careful to keep their attention on him. He only hoped they _wouldn't _be foolish and try to interfere in his fight in some ill-advised attempt to lighten his load. No matter what it meant for himself, this was his job, and it was one he knew he had to perform alone.

It was then that the thin villain with the disembodied hands on his face started rushing towards him. Seeing as he was the one who had introduced his cronies at the start of this mess, there was no doubt that he was the ringleader.

"Final boss," Aizawa muttered.

He activated his Quirk and sent a scarf flying toward the enemy, but the man merely caught it and continued his advance. He was unusually fast, but not fast enough to indicate a speed-augmenting Quirk.

Which meant that whatever he wanted to do next would be in close quarters.

Or he'd discovered how Aizawa's Quirk worked from the sidelines.

Aizawa wouldn't wait to find out. Taking the offensive, he ran straight toward the villain at full speed. There was no retreat for either of them at this point.

A second before collision, he seized hold of the scarf that was still clutched in the villain's hands and pulled. Without hesitation, he followed it with a brutal elbow aimed straight toward the villain's gut. The fight would be over before it ever had a chance to begin.

Or at least, that's how things should've gone.

The next thing Aizawa felt was his elbow meeting not an unguarded abdomen, but the villain's palm. Peculiarly, he only felt four fingers engaged in the block, but that didn't matter right now.

What mattered was that he had to blink.

And he did.

And his hair fell.

"It took a while with all that jumping around you were doing," the villain started, "but I found your tell. It's your hair. When it falls, I know you're not using your Quirk anymore, and it seems you've been having to blink more often…"

A fifth finger was added to the block.

"So be careful… you might just _fall apart._ Wouldn't that suck?"

And then Aizawa felt _agony._

The moment the fifth finger touched his skin, it felt like his arm was being drenched in acid. Set alight. Like… it was disintegrating from the points where those fingers touched his arm. With horror, he realized what the villain's Quirk was as his arm burned and flaked apart like old paint from the elbow.

_Disintegration_.

Despite the pain in his bloodshot eyes, Aizawa reactivated his Quirk and disengaged with a clean punch to the villain's stomach and a follow-up kick sent that both of them flying apart.

Aizawa's arm was destroyed and now hung limply by his side but as he stumbled up, he saw that the villain was still down. The only positive he could glean from this sudden turn was that at least his arm wasn't bleeding despite so much of it having been disintegrated away.

_'Keep going Aizawa. None of this is going to matter if the students are killed because you can't keep fighting! It's illogical to think your role has changed because of your arm, now do your job and protect them!'_

A villain with a sharp-toothed mouth for a hand appeared behind him, and Aizawa dodged the attack before kicking him in the head. Another villain with razor-sharp swords for nails tried slicing him alongside two other weapon-wielding villains, but he dodged them all as well before erasing their Quirks. They all stopped dead in their tracks a meter or two away, but the damage was done. He was surrounded.

But even if his body screamed of imminent collapse, and logic told him he was bound to lose, he would _never _surrender. He still had a job to do.

"That Quirk of yours really isn't suited for drawn-out fights, is it?" The ringleader continued.

Oh, so the villain was quick, durable, _and _more observant than he looked. Unhinged yet tactical in his every move – the most dangerous kind of villain should he escape to fight another day.

"Don't you think you're a little out of your depth here, Eraserhead? You're better at being a rogue than a warrior… you're always good at attacking out of stealth and doing a combo against a single enemy, not fighting them head-on," the villain continued. "Yet even knowing that, you didn't hesitate to pull all the aggro… just to put your students at ease."

Once again, Aizawa was forced to blink, and the three villains engaged.

With one hand he mummified the swords-for-nails villain with his scarves and spun him around to act as a shield against another villain who was swinging a sledgehammer towards his head. The villain only barely stopped himself but had no time to recover his momentum before Aizawa kicked the wrapped villain back into his ally, knocking them both out. He then dodged a villain with oversized arms and his leaping slam into the ground before delivering an incapacitating knee to his face and an elbow to the back of his head simultaneously.

He then spun around after reeling in his scarves to face the leader, his Quirk back on even as his breathing became more labored.

There was no underestimating him this time.

"Hey, look at you, you're still standing! You really are so _cool!_" The ringleader chuckled unsteadily. "Oh, but uh… by the way? I'm _not _the final boss."

The hair on Aizawa's neck prickled on end and he whirled, only to meet the black-skinned goliath the villain had brought along hovering right behind him. In that moment, if he hadn't known it before, one thing was now clear.

Eraserhead had lost long before the fight had even begun.

A massive palm reached towards him, and his final thoughts turned towards the hopes that he had done enough to save his kids.

Then there was only blood.

* * *

Despite the brief encounter Akiko and Jomei had with the female villain after landing in the downpour zone, things had been relatively quiet as they moved alongside Tokoyami towards the exit. In fact, despite the – in her opinion – pretty tight battle plan the three of them had formed, they hadn't encountered that many villains on their way out. Granted, Tokoyami needing to stay hidden in the alleyways did slow down their advance somewhat, but the lack of activity still stuck out to Akiko.

The only other villains they'd run into were two trios strewn about the zone in a seemingly random pattern, and those villains were all caught so off-guard by their quarries' competence that they really didn't put up much of a fight. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow's ambush tactics played a pivotal role in the small battles, but so too did Akiko and Jomei contribute just as much to incapacitating the villains as him – even while they were out in the open to draw the villains' attention. As a result, they'd been able to lean on Tokoyami's sheer power to overwhelm their foes before they could even try to call for help.

Not that they were complaining about Tokoyami being the powerhouse of their group. This was a 'do-or-die' scenario, not some training exercise at U.A. where trying to upstage one another was an unspoken secondary goal.

Of course, that relative peace was bound to end at some point.

"So…" Jomei idly started, "Do you think that we may have just lucked out?"

"What do you mean?" Akiko asked.

"I don't know… maybe we just scared them off, or we got dropped in the zone with the least villains. That's a possibility, right?"

Akiko shrugged. "I doubt it. I don't think the villains would make the oversight of spreading their forces too thin in one zone – even if they're splitting up into smaller teams anyway, by the looks of things."

"Fair enough," Jomei answered.

The flooded street they were working through finally came to an end, and just as Dark Shadow had instructed them, they continued to follow against the flow of the water towards the hidden drains elsewhere in the zone. They turned a corner onto another street, the edge of the all-encompassing dome that contained the downpour visible in the distance. Unfortunately, after a few more meters of progress, fate showed its hand.

Out of one of the many alleys down the new road, a villain emerged.

And then another two, then three, and still more followed until a large group had formed a short distance in front of the pair. The villains numbered no fewer than twelve, though their exact number was hard to discern from a distance.

Jomei pursed his lips. "Welp… that probably explains where the rest of them are."

"The rest of us, eh? So, you two's the brats who's been messin' with our friends, eh?" One of the villains barked. "We're gonna enjoy killin' you! Ain't that right boys?"

"_Yeahh!_"

"Let's do this!"

"Mama always told me bitches get stitches!"

"Your mama was an idiot."

Akiko shifted into a fighting stance. The villains may have had some semblance of unity between them but it was clear they didn't have much experience fighting alongside each other. More importantly, they were also still unaware of Tokoyami waiting in the shadows.

Akiko quickly decided that taking the initiative would be their best option. Jomei's hand glowed, and it became apparent to her that he'd come to the same conclusion.

"Jomei?" She started.

"I know. Take the fight to them, yeah?" He responded, the gases in his hand forming into a glowing pink ball. His newest technique.

"Right – and don't do anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He smiled and prepared for an underhanded throw. "_Brace!_"

The Flashbang flew, and Akiko turned her head and shut her eyes. She knew Jomei's warning had been for Tokoyami more than herself, and she desperately hoped he had heeded the warning.

The ball skipped along the flooded street before it sank beneath the waterline, and the lead villain stared down at the bright sphere, unimpressed.

"Whaddya telling us to brace for?" He laughed. "What, are we supposed to be afraid of this piddly little-"

The Flashbang detonated, and as the leader and the rest of the villains howled in pain, Jomei didn't waste a moment.

"_Now!_"

"Dark Shadow!"

The sentient Quirk rushed out from within Tokoyami's shroud in an instant, bowling through three stunned villains and smashing an enormous palm into a fourth as it continued its advance, only stopping when the villain met a nearby building's wall.

The tattooed, blue-eyed, and shirtless villain grabbed ahold of two of Dark Shadow's fingers and managed to resist being crushed outright. "Funny thing about this whole deal… I can't feel _any _of this!" He laughed wickedly. "You'd have to beat me to a pulp to make me stop!"

**"Yeah, don't care. Thanks for the invite though!" **Dark Shadow responded, and its other arm balled into a fist. One overhead swing later and the villain was turned into an unconscious, human-sized nail in the concrete.

Immunity to pain didn't mean immunity to damage, after all.

**"Dark Shadow four, villains zero! I'm the best!"**

"Dark Shadow, return at once!" Tokoyami commanded.

The Quirk looked to its right and immediately began its retreat. Akiko and Jomei appeared, ready to take advantage of the villains' attention being focused on the shrinking silhouette that was Dark Shadow. Jomei engaged Light Speed once his inhuman ally was nearing its owner, and wound up close enough to their foes to engage before Akiko could join the fray.

A trio of Neon Beams popped into existence as Jomei leaped over a still-stunned group of villains, and every beam hit its mark, striking them all square in the head and knocking them out before he even landed.

"Alright…" Jomei whispered confidently.

"You think we're all so weak that an attack like _that _will take us out?" Another villain roared as he recovered, leaping through the air like a kangaroo with his leg aimed at Jomei.

He rolled right under the attack. "Not really! Flashbang's a stun!"

"No shit, dumbass!" The villain barked, and he began winding up a push kick when he landed.

"And while you're busy paying attention to me…" Jomei backflipped out of the attack's range.

"You can't see what's coming behind you!" Akiko shouted.

"Wait, wha-"

A whip of water cracked through the air and across the back of the villain's bovine skull, sending him flying past Jomei into a nearby streetlight. The pole rang with a resounding _thung, _and the villain moved no more.

Jomei threw a thumbs up Akiko's way. "Thanks for the assist!"

"No, I meant _you!_" Akiko continued.

"What?"

"_Roll!_"

He didn't question the order and rolled out of the way at Light Speed into an alleyway opposite to Tokoyami's – and only then did he notice the several villains that had recovered from his Flashbang charging towards the spot he'd been moments ago. At the same time the criminals turned their attention to Akiko she let her Quirk's grip on her liquid weapon go in favor of preparing a more decisive attack. It wouldn't be merciful to either herself or her foes, but it was better than drawing out the fight and giving the villains any second chances. Time was of the essence if she wanted to end the fight quickly.

'_Alright Akiko, keep your arms loose and focus! You can do this!'_

She held her hands out before her horizontally and started rolling her wrists, and the water all around her responded in kind, shimmering droplets lifting from the ground and coalescing into the makings of a wave. A shift of her stance and a grand, fluid motion of her arms leading into a push forward completed the preparation for the assault, and she cast it forth not a moment too soon.

The attack grew in size and magnitude as both it and Akiko assimilated more water into it, turning the small wave into a towering wall that stopped the villains dead in their tracks before they could reach her.

As the wave began to collapse in on itself, Akiko tightened her hands into fists and twisted, feeling her chest tighten as the water solidified, ice crackling as it formed a small glacier in the middle of the road. Her plan complete, Akiko let her grip go, leaving only the villains' heads poking out from within their confinement.

"Oh, c-come on! The hell did we sign up for? This is bullshit!" One of the villains complained.

"Get your foot off a' me!"

"Oh yeah, I'll do that right when I can feel my fuckin' _legs _again, asshat!"

As the void in the street created by Akiko's attack once again filled with water, the glacier's buoyancy led it to begin sliding harmlessly down the street – and Akiko only watched as the villains trapped inside bickered and squabbled all the while.

_'Mission accomplished… I guess?'_

Villains were a… mixed bunch, to be certain.

Tokoyami was the first of the trio to move again, leaving the seclusion of his alleyway when Jomei had turned off his Quirk. Akiko, meanwhile, merely stayed where she was.

"Well that was certainly an efficacious display of power, Takara."

**"I could do better, though,"** Dark Shadow added.

"Disregard him."

"Right. But, yeah, I… guess it was," she exhaled. "Still took a lot out of me, though."

"Room for growth shall always remain," Tokoyami observed.

Jomei arrived alongside them. "True. But seriously though, Akiko, thanks for the assist… again. How are you holding up?"

She rubbed her crystal core. "I've been better, but I think I'm fine. Not near my limit yet – just wanted to get rid of those villains before they had a chance to coordinate… not that I think they would've ended up doing that anyway."

He nodded. "Gotcha. Tokoyami?"

"Dark Shadow is still ready for combat."

"Then we should keep moving."

"Right. There can't be that many more villains in this zone now that the big group is gone – unless they planned on sending more of their troops here than anywhere else, which is unlikely." Akiko added.

Jomei nodded an affirmative, and the trio set out in their advance together. A door in the distance glowed with a faint red sign that could've only been the exit, and the slight pain in Akiko's chest was forgotten. Cautious optimism took its place as she continued trudging through the slowly deepening water.

Although Jomei had always been concerned about her well-being, as he always tended to be… something about how he'd been somewhat _more _concerned than usual just stuck out to her. She stole a glance at him, but he was facing ahead, his expression rigid with determination, and she quickly turned her attention back to the road.

_'Keep your head in the game, Akiko…'_

She sped up her stride to keep up with her allies, and the glowing sign came slowly into view. It was small and hard to see, but it was the exit they'd been aiming to find. Just a couple dozen more meters and salvation would be theirs.

It was then that the water around her ankles tugged backward.

And it was too strong to merely be the zone's sparse drainage.

Next, the unrelenting downpour that'd persisted since before their arrival stopped suddenly, the pounding patter of raindrops giving way to an eerie hush. They looked up in wonder and saw that the rain hadn't _stopped,_ but had been suspended in the air in a dome all around them.

"Akiko? Is this you?" Jomei asked.

"No… it isn't…" she responded cautiously.

Whatever was happening had to have been the work of a Quirk, but then the logical next question begged asking in the back of Akiko's mind.

"So who is?"

Tokoyami bristled. "Look closely above at the snare above us. It's moving."

Akiko squinted. He was right. The rainfall trapped by the dome was flowing backward… just like the water around their legs, which was rippling and churning in its rush elsewhere. Akiko followed the motion of the rain and the flooding underfoot and saw a whirlpool forming in the space they'd come from. It then became clear that the deluge of swirling water was centered around a small manhole cover.

Which now rumbled like a volcano about to erupt.

The plate cover jittered wildly around, steel ringing as some unseen pressure threatened its seal, and Akiko put the pieces together only moments too late.

A geyser erupted from below sending the lid flying skyward, and water spewed forth until the shape of a man became visible within. His body was entirely ice, devoid of expression save for the outline of a devilish grin. He roared and raised his arms, and the water that had started moving seemingly of its own accord raced towards him. The liquid heeded his call and pooled into a shell thousands of gallons thick around his body until he easily dwarfed a two-story house with his height.

"Hey!" The villain gurgled threateningly, "_You missed a spot! Now __**DIE!**_"

His liquid arm launched towards the students with the speed of a water cannon, and Akiko was the first to snap out of her frozen state.

"_Run!_" she shouted.

"Understood!"

"_Way _ahead of you, Akiko!"

They bolted, adrenaline amplifying their speed just enough to reach an office building on the side of the road. The glass panes that once made up its first-story walls were shattered, and the students ran through before continuing their sprint towards a nearby counter. Vaulting over it, they crouched below the villains' potential line of sight just as quickly, though the cover did little to address the potentially fatal threat that was waiting for them down the street.

The rain returned in a crushing deluge outside, the villain's use of his Quirk seemingly at an end, and a sloshing of water was heard as the villain moved through it, coming closer by the second.

"Okay, so obvious statement time – we need a plan," Jomei stressed. "Tokoyami? Think Dark Shadow can take that guy out?"

Tokoyami bowed his head. "I'm afraid not."

"Okay, why not?"

"Even with the reduced illumination in this zone, there's still enough light to affect Dark Shadow's strength. Furthermore, despite you providing me warnings of when you're using your Quirk, my own hasn't escaped your attacks' light _entirely _unscathed. Dark Shadow has been growing weaker, even if it's been an imperceptible decline due to how powerful it'd been upon my first arrival here."

"Okay, so what _do _we have to work with?" Jomei leaned his head towards the sound of the incoming villain. "We don't have much time."

"Well, we know the villain's Quirk looks like it's to draw in and use water like an extension of his body, right?" Akiko prefaced.

"Yeah?"

"So we may not have brute force since Dark Shadow's getting weaker, but we do have numbers and maybe even knowledge on our side too. If the villain can use water as a part of his body, that's one thing, but that doesn't mean his Quirk's effects are immune to _mine. _More importantly, his Quirk doesn't mean he can keep track of all of us at once."

Tokoyami's brow furrowed. "So you've developed an avenue of attack, then?"

Akiko nodded. "Yeah, but it has to go _perfectly _so that no one gets hurt."

Jomei and Tokoyami shared a look.

The former nodded. "Then we're all ears."

* * *

_'I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes!'_

Denki ducked again, narrowly avoiding the literal stop sign the villain before him was wielding. As it flew by, and he realized he'd saved his face from becoming a pancake, Denki jumped backward and swung his steel rod in a wild arc to buy some time. Luckily, the villain didn't press the advantage he had and instead readjusted his grip on his makeshift weapon, his green-tank top clinging to his skin.

Come to think of it, Denki noted, a _lot _of the villains in the mountain zone were wearing tank tops – or at least, the ones outside the group from earlier were, anyway.

For now, though, he disregarded the observation.

What was more important right now was that he made the most of his weapon, which, as it turned out, worked _really _well with a Quirk that lets its user emit electricity without too many downsides. Granted, when he looked at Kyoka and Yaoyorozu and compared himself to them, he realized he was not much more useful than an infant flailing its arm around after grabbing ahold of whatever random thing it found on the ground, but still! He may not have been a prodigy, but he'd been using a simple steel rod better than some of the villains he'd fought had been using their _Quirks._

So he was, tentatively, feeling a little good about his performance so far. Add on top of that fact that he and his companions were all completely unharmed, and their in-progress escape attempt was an absolute win, so far as he was concerned.

The villain before him swung his sign overhead like a battleaxe, and Denki jolted to respond.

None of his minor victories would matter if he died, after all.

In a fit of knee-jerk reflex, he stepped to the side while moving his steel rod above his head to block the attack. The electricity imbued within traveled through the villain's weapon, and the man shouted as he dropped the sign and turned his shocked hands into fists.

"Yeah, no, you're not punching me out, and I _totally _meant to do what I did just then!" Denki shouted, and he lashed out with his own weapon like a bat.

One totally-healthy mix of electricity and blunt force trauma across the villain's face later, and he was out like a light. Denki surveyed the battlefield around him for other opponents before planting his weapon into the ground to catch his breath and make a mental note.

_'Ok, so that's like, eight down so far on my end of things? Good. Feeling a little dizzy from using my Quirk so much but still in fighting shape? Great!'_

He nodded to himself and rose back to his full height. He pulled his weapon out of the ground and held it before him in both hands, admiring the item that'd given him just a _slight _edge over the villains that chose to mess with him.

"You know," he thought aloud, "I think I'm really getting the hang of thi-"

An uppercut to Denki's face interrupted his musings and sent him flying.

Holding on to consciousness, Denki pushed himself up on his arms with a groan when he finally stopped skidding along the ground. His latest assailant was, go figure, wearing a tiger-print tank top alongside a pair of sunglasses, green cargo pants, and an unwaveringly confident smile.

"Hey, hey, really shouldn't leave yourself open like that, bro!" he declared.

Denki saw the attempted curb stomp that followed coming a mile away. As fast as the attack had come out, though, Denki's reflexes countered, and he rolled out of harm's way before leaping back onto his feet and reaching for his weapon-

Which just so happened to have landed _right _next to his attacker when he was punched in the first place.

So he was unarmed _and _on the verge of going loopy with his Quirk.

Which left one option.

Turn tail and _run_.

Unfortunately, it looked like the villain was several steps ahead of Denki on the matter of tactics. The moment Denki kicked his heels around to begin sprinting towards his friends, the muscular – and surprisingly lithe – man grabbed him by the neck and locked him in a chokehold. Luckily, his arms didn't tighten.

Yet.

"And you _really _shouldn't turn your back on me, either!" The villain's grip strengthened slightly.

"Yeah, realizing that now!" Denki strained against the chokehold, but to no avail.

"Aw, what's the matter, bro? Wanna die in a hurry?"

Denki's struggles ceased. "Nope, not dying today, but guess what!?" His grip on his captors' arms tensed. "_You're getting fried!_"

He unleashed the strongest use of his Quirk he could manage without pushing himself past his limits, and with how the villain growled in pain, Denki thought his attack had worked. In the next instant, he realized the villain's grip hadn't loosened.

In fact, it had tightened a little more.

Which meant that this villain was _immune _to his Quirk.

"You know…" his captor growled, veins on his forehead bulging in rage, "I usually have a soft spot for electric-type Quirk users, but I'm not gonna lie… you're pissing me off. You think you can beat me and call for help? Well guess what, so long as I'm conscious, no signals are getting out anyway! Tank top gang _rules!_"

_'Wait, so it's a gang!?' _he thought, his mind loopy as he clung to the villain's arm.

But apparently, the villain was done playing around. His arms pressed against Denki's throat with murderous intent, and it took every ounce of remaining strength for Denki to keep from being choked out. Blackness crept into the corners of his vision and his fingers scrabbled for purchase on the arm that was crushing his windpipe.

Out of the corner of his eyes, consciousness fading, he spotted Kyoka through the haze of his vision.

"Uh, a little help!?" He wheezed through the pain, sure she hadn't heard him.

But Kyoka whirled around, brandishing her machete, and her face paled. "Damnit, Denki! Couldn't you just _not _need saving every five minutes?!"

"Don't you think that's exaggerating?!" He croaked, struggling for every breath.

"Not the time, Denki!"

She was right, he thought, his brain hazy and lightheaded. He was supposed to be a hero and instead he was essentially a hostage in front of two ladies. He was the literal _antithesis _of cool, right now.

The villain glared at Yaoyorozu and Kyoka, who stood surrounded by the bodies of his fallen allies. His grin never wavered, but the distraction caused his hold to loosen slightly and Denki gasped for breath. A vein on the villain's forehead bulged even harder. "You know, if I wasn't told to kill you brats, I'd probably give you all invites into the tank top gang… but seeing as you beat up my boys, consider yourselves _way _too uncool to join up. So once I'm done with this guy right here, you two are next!"

He looked down at Denki maliciously. "Any last words?"

The girls sent Denki a look, and now that he had been able to take a few life-saving gulps of air, he felt nothing but confidence.

"Yeah, actually," he started. "I'm kinda totally not into this 'being a hostage' thing, so…"

Without further warning, he elbowed the villain in the stomach with the last of his strength. His captor wheezed and his chokehold went slack enough for Denki to push out of his grip. As he rolled sideways to give his allies clear access to the villain, what happened next was as swift as it was decisive.

Kyoka followed up with a round of Heartbeat Fuzz, and the villain was stunned once more before he could move. Yaoyorozu then generated a lasso from her stomach and flung it around him, incapacitating him and removing what was hopefully the mountain zone's final threat from the fight.

Denki scrambled back to his feet, and Kyoka and Yaoyorozu held their weapons at the ready in case the villain tried anything. Despite being bound, the villain's grin didn't fade.

"Ha ha ha! Nice trick, but you three are still done for! It's like I said, you can't call for help as long as I'm awake! _Tank top gang rules!_" He howled.

"Yaoyorozu?" Denki asked.

"Hm?"

"Rod me."

She obliged, and a replica of his old weapon was in his hands not a few seconds later.

"Whatcha gonna do, bro? Knock me out?" The villain snickered.

He never saw the strike coming.

Denki sighed in relief as he cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "Well that's one headache out of the way."

Kyoka scoffed. "Speak for yourself. You're giving me one just by us needing to babysit you."

"To be fair, that was the only time he was in genuine danger besides the canine villain a while back…" Yaoyorozu pointed out.

"Exactly! And besides, didn't I look cool when I elbowed that guy?" Denki followed up.

"You're exhausting…" Kyoka lamented.

"Yeah, well no more worries! That villain musta been the guy who was blocking all signals in and out, and he's unconscious, so leave the rest to me!" Denki put a hand up to his radio…

Which had shattered when he rolled out of harm's way.

"Uh…"

"You broke your radio, didn't you?" Yaoyorozu deadpanned.

"Maybe?! But it's fine though, you can make me another, right?!"

"Was it made with specific accommodations to run using your Quirk?"

"Yeah…"

"Then I'm afraid that unless you have an exact molecular blueprint on hand, I'll be unable to create a replacement," Yaoyorozu finished.

Denki deflated. "Which means that we're back to square one…"

Kyoka rolled her eyes. "No, it means that we're back to the original plan – keep rockin' it so we can get out of here alive. That last group was huge, so with any luck, we've dealt with the last of the groupies in this zone. We should be in the clear."

"In the clear? The pros still don't know that we're in danger!" Denki exclaimed.

"And _you_ evidently don't know that Iida and Jomei are still out there. We have no way of knowing for sure, but one of them could have escaped by now to get word out to the pros on their own."

"Not an unlikely scenario," Yaoyorozu agreed, and she moved forward towards a nearby decline in the terrain. "Even still, we need to keep moving. It looks like we're near the end of the mountain zone, but we can't afford to slow down now. Even if we're all bound to be at our limits from constant combat at this point."

As she started down the descent, Denki and Kyoka shared a glance. The former nodded and threw a thumbs up, and the latter rolled her eyes before following after their ally. Denki took one last look at the battlefield behind them before sliding down the terrain to catch up with the pair.

They weren't out of the woods yet, but the end was finally in sight.

* * *

Akiko didn't consider herself a strategist. She knew that she could come up with plans for a fight no problem, as was necessary when her Quirk forced her to think outside the box, but she didn't consider herself a master tactician, by any means. A chaotic situation like this only exemplified the fact that, while she could think on her feet, it was the variability and unknowns of the Quirks she encountered that kept her from being absolutely certain in her planning. More to the point, if she was paired up with two strangers and _not _Tokoyami and Jomei, she probably could have come up with _some_ plan to deal with the water-based villain, but right now, her knowledge of her friend's Quirk would be fundamental in the battle ahead.

That said, she didn't really consider herself a leader either.

She understood that she could easily work with her closest friends in a team scenario, sure, but she didn't know for certain if she could handle always having as many eyes on her as the role of a leader would require. She could handle her _friends' _attention, but a leader, by necessity, needed to be able to interact with and answer to so many people on the daily that she didn't think she could handle such a role. Not yet, anyway.

Even so… for now, for this fight alone, she would lead. Tokoyami and Jomei weren't strangers, and now wasn't the time to have a problem with leading when the plan they were about to execute was hers to begin with.

The giant villain's footsteps were audible swishing through the water as the three prepared to attack, and now the strides were closer than ever. Tokoyami was still in Akiko's line of sight, at the other end of the first floor so that he'd be behind the villain when he came into view - and so long as he'd run into no obstacles, Jomei would be hiding on the building's second floor by now.

Which meant that it was time to get started.

"Come on… come out and _playyyy…_" The villain warbled, but he received no response. "Rrrgh! You brats can't just hide forever, you hear me!?"

He lashed out with his armored shell, throwing a watery fist sideways into a nearby building, and he growled before roaring up to the sky in frustration.

And that was exactly the opportunity Akiko was waiting for.

_'Now or never!'_

She vaulted over her countertop refuge and ran forward, freezing the water underfoot as she went so she could skate towards her target more quickly. Not a few moments later she hopped off her makeshift slide and landed a few meters in front of the villain. He twitched and looked down, but the element of surprise was still on Akiko's side.

She put her hands forward and reached forth with her Quirk, and…

It was as she thought. The villain could use water as a second skin and attract it like a magnet, but that didn't mean he was immune to _her _Quirk in turn. She was able to hold him still – but also as expected, the villain was just as strong with his Quirk as she was with hers. Akiko felt herself slipping back and froze her feet in place, just managing to keep the villain subdued. Her chest throbbed and she knew she was forcing her Quirk to its limits, but she didn't need to hold him for long.

Just long enough to execute the plan.

"_Jomei!_"

"On it!"

He appeared in an instant, racing out the second-story window and into the air with a flashy mid-air twirl like he'd been _dreaming _of the moment he'd be able to use the move. As he twisted through the air he extended a palm and gripped his arm with his other hand, bracing for his own attack. Another instant later and a long Phosphor Beam surged into existence.

"What!?" The villain cried.

Steam flared into the air as the beam bored through the villain's Quirk, eventually hitting his icy body underneath. The attack knocked him out, and he was sent flying backward out of his now-deteriorating liquid armor.

"Dark Shadow!"

Dregs of bright neon still remained, but the sentient Quirk appeared all the same. Just as Jomei hit the ground, Dark Shadow intercepted the unconscious villain, catching him and hastily setting him down in an alleyway before returning to the refuge of Tokoyami's shroud. If the Quirk's weakness to light wasn't being called into question, the exposure to Jomei's likely meant it would be a short while before Dark Shadow would be effective again – meaning that the trio was now, essentially, down one member.

But the plan had worked. The villain was down, and no one was hurt.

That's what mattered.

Jomei appeared beside Akiko. "Well, that went pretty well. Good plan."

Akiko nodded. "Yeah… I guess it did. Thanks."

"No problem. You holding up okay?"

"Yeah. I'm feeling the stress on my Quirk, but no fractures. Fingers crossed that'll last. You?"

He threw a thumbs up. "Still got plenty of gas left. Lucky us, it'll probably be enough to make it out of the USJ and get help when we get out of here. Tokoyami?" He called.

The boy stalked toward them. "I am well enough. Dark Shadow will require a brief reprieve yet, but I am fit to continue moving. If we're all in need of saving our strength, we should keep moving and be rid of this inundated place." He tilted his head towards the exit.

Akiko and Jomei shared a nod, and the three students were off. Within moments they had crashed through the exit of the downpour zone, and into an almost shocking change in atmosphere.

Where the constant rainfall bombarded their ears, now all that was left were the sounds of battle ringing out in the distance wherever their classmates must have ended up. But with hair stuck to their faces and their costumes heavy with moisture, the sudden shift to a dry environment was a welcome relief.

And although they appreciated the chance to finally dry off, they didn't stop for a moment. They continued running with as much vigor as they could muster, and soon their breath grew heavier as they reached the edge of the mountain zone. The entrance to the USJ was still a distance and a long flight of stairs away, but the possibility that their mission would be a success was _there,_ and it'd only be a minute or two longer before Jomei would be home free.

Or so they thought.

As the trio passed a pile of rocks near an outcropping of the mountain zone, the seemingly innocuous stone began to _move._ It rose up, higher and higher until it towered over them, and a villain made of stone soon stood forebodingly between them and their goal – just as tall as the water-based villain they'd just taken out, if not slightly taller.

Jomei skidded to a halt. "Come on, there's another one of these guys!?"

"Welp… it looks like my baby brother screwed up his job… idiot." He sighed. "Guess it's my job to clean up his mess now."

The giant began to move a massive palm forward, and the three students readied themselves for the desperate fight ahead – they needed to get Jomei out of the USJ.

"Cover your ears, _now!_"

Akiko started to look up. _'Is that…?'_

The villain reeled as cannon fire hit him square in the chest, and he staggered backward, nearly falling. Akiko, Jomei, and Tokoyami covered their ears, and a moment later, another shot prevented the towering villain from recovering. Not a second later, he roared out in pain as amplified pulses of sound consumed him where he stood, and he clutched his stony ears in a desperate attempt to escape the bombardment.

And then a certain blond-haired boy soared off a nearby cliff, towards the villain.

"Stay away from my friends, you hear me?!" He roared.

He swung his steel rod with all the force he could muster, and with a satisfying _crack, _the villain's head snapped forward. As the boy rolled to break his fall, the villain teetered to the side for a few moments before he fell, unconscious.

A brief reprieve from the chaos followed, and for a few moments, nobody dared to even move.

"So…" Denki huffed, leaning on his rod. "Guess this means you haven't escaped to let U.A. know what's happening, huh? Not gonna lie… was kinda looking forward to that being a thing."

Jomei shook his head in disbelief. "Good to see you again, man. I was planning on getting out of here, but… this guy beat us to the punch."

"Then it's a good thing we were here then, huh?" Kyoka called as she descended a final decline, and Yaoyorozu followed soon after.

Akiko nodded. "Yeah. Are you guys okay?"

"Quite well," Yaoyorozu answered. "We're all sure to be at our utmost limits by now, but we're unharmed. I'm afraid that during our own venture, while we were able to take out the villain blocking signals in and out of the USJ, Kaminari's radio was destroyed in battle. We would have called for help otherwise."

"But we've still got Jomei – Iida too if that fog villain didn't warp him somewhere along with the rest of us," Kyoka pointed out.

"Right. Are you still fit to run long-distance?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Yeah. I've been saving gas for Light Speed just for that, actually. That was our plan the second we all landed in the downpour zone."

Tokoyami stepped forward. "Then we shouldn't dawdle. The all-consuming jaws of villainy won't wait for us to catch our breath to snuff out our lives. Kaminari? Are you able to continue?"

Denki plucked his weapon out of the soil. "Yeah… ready to roll!"

"Then let's move," Jomei urged.

The newfound group of six did just that, all setting out with a common goal in mind. Fatigued though they all may have been, Akiko could feel that they were all determined to see things through to the end. They were some of U.A.'s finest students, and if any villains came between them and escape, they would learn _exactly _what 'plus ultra' truly meant.

It was then, as Akiko's features returned to normal, that a tentative flicker of hope blossomed in her chest. Now that they numbered six, it was possible that the worst of the crisis was finally over. They could very well be able to get through this whole incident without anyone getting killed.

With that realization, Akiko's crystal core flared a determined orange, and she felt her stride hasten as the sight of salvation grew nearer.

* * *

"Huh… heroes sure look _weak _when they're on the losing side of an encounter."

The ringleader's monster, having pinned Aizawa, slowly twisted his victim's arm backward, and with no effort, Aizawa's arm snapped like a twig. He let out a pained cry, but otherwise made no other movements. Goggles long gone, blood ran down his face from the smash his face had taken into the ground, and Aizawa counted himself lucky to even be _alive _right now.

That state probably wouldn't last much longer though.

"You can erase powers – it's a pretty annoying way to even things out, sure, but it's nothing impressive. When faced with real, _physical_ power, you might as well be a Quirkless child playing pretend." the ringleader snickered.

As agonizing as it was to do, Aizawa forced his head up and snapped his neck around, activating his Quirk against the goliath on top of him.

All he earned in response was a palm smashing his _other _arm into splinters.

The hero's Quirk faded, and his newly shattered appendage fell limp. Then the monster gripped his head and slammed his face into the shattered pavement once again, Aizawa clinging to consciousness as long as he could.

_'I'm sure of it… I erased this thing's Quirk… which means that he's super strong even without it…'_

"By the way, Eraserhead, that right there? That's the bioengineered Nomu. The anti-Symbol of Peace… so it might be smart not to struggle too much. It's designed to be as strong as All Might, after all…" the villain continued.

_'Of _course _it is…'_

Before anything more could transpire, a brief burst of purple fog alerted Aizawa of a new arrival. The fog villain that had escaped him when he blinked for the first time had returned.

"Shigaraki Tomura…" he spoke.

"Kurogiri. Did you kill Thirteen?" Shigaraki asked.

"I'm afraid that there have been some… complications," Kurogiri began. "Among the students there were a few I was unable to disperse, and although the Pro Hero charged with protecting them was of no match to me, their combined forces held me at bay long enough for one of their number to escape. Regrettably, Thirteen remains unharmed."

Even through his pain, Aizawa felt the atmosphere around the lead villain grow cold. Shigaraki's fingers met his neck, and he began scratching violently against the scarred flesh there as the implications of Kurogiri's failure sank in.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aizawa picked up on movement in the distance. A group of six students – Nishimura, Takara, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Kaminari, and Tokoyami – were moving quickly toward the entrance of the USJ. They paused when they caught onto the sight of him in danger, but one subtle look from him forced most of them to keep going. Takara lagged behind for a moment, but Nishimura dragged her along and up the stairs too before long.

Finally, Aizawa felt a flicker of hope burn in his chest. One of his students had escaped, another six were on their way to Thirteen and relative safety, and the probability of _all _his kids surviving this attack seemed only to be going up.

_'The villains' attention isn't on them… that's all that matters.'_

"Kurogiri…" Shigaraki rumbled, "You _idiot._ We planned this raid _perfectly!_ We had all the party members we needed, all the goons to keep the brats busy, the initiative roll, we had _everything in our hands…_ and you _ruined _it."

His scratching suddenly stopped. "If you weren't my ticket out of here, I'd atomize you, but… there's no way to win with dozens of pros coming. Game over, and back to the title screen… damnit, and I was looking forward to getting this quest done today. Let's go home."

Despite everything indicating that his students were about to be out of harm's way, Aizawa felt his blood run cold. If this Nomu was the anti-Symbol of Peace, and Shigaraki had expressed the desire to 'meet' All Might, then it was likely they'd come here to try and kill him. U.A. would tighten its security the moment this incident was done with, and All Might would likely be on his way right now, so why would the villains flee? This was their only shot.

If he hadn't lost so much blood, and wasn't in so much pain, he was sure he'd be able to come up with an answer. But as it stood, the reason escaped him.

Then he felt his heart skip a beat.

Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta – they were _still behind him. _They hadn't run. Forget that the villains were about to leave, Aizawa still had a mission to see through to the end.

Even if it killed him.

"But first… let's make sure the Symbol of Peace is broken," Shigaraki said, spotting the three students. "Let's kill his pride…"

Aizawa didn't hesitate.

And neither did the villain.

Shigaraki appeared in front of Asui, an arm outstretched and poised to render one of U.A.'s aspiring heroes into naught but blood and dust before any of her peers could even react.

But he paused at the last second.

"Eraserhead… you really are _so cool…_"

Blood dripped from his brow into his eyes, but through sheer force of will, Aizawa kept them open. He'd used his Quirk one more time and saved one more life.

Possibly the last time he ever would.

"But if you're going to be such a nuisance, I guess I've got no choice. Nomu?"

The abomination's grip on Aizawa's head tightened and his face was lifted up higher than before. This time there'd be no surviving what came next – but he harbored no regrets. He'd done what he had to do as a Pro Hero, and he knew that this was the most likely outcome when the Nomu had first pinned him.

He'd do it all over again in a heartbeat if he had to.

"End him."

And then came the sound of thunder from the entrance.

Everyone paused.

Maybe he wouldn't fail his kids, after all.

Maybe they'd all live to fight another day.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Welp. I expected this to be longer, but I cut a little bit of needless guff in the final Aizawa scene because I didn't feel like rehashing canon. Besides, it certainly will make subtle, interesting differences in what happens next, y'know? Anywho… ten brownie points to whoever catches the walking God of War reference in this chapter! Honestly, alongside a Tank Top Tiger + Doflamingo reference and more, this whole **_**chapter **_**was a bunch of dumb references in some form or another.**

**The water and earth bros were original, though. That said… yes, Denki is somewhat different than in canon here, but what oh what could that mean…? Nothing. Or something. Or maybe we'll just have to wait and see.**

**Or just you. I **_**do **_**have some plan behind all this, after all!**


	15. All Might

For a little while, while he and everyone else were making their way towards the USJ entrance, Jomei thought everyone would be able to get to safety, see what was what, and send him on his way to grab reinforcements as soon as possible. It may have seemed an impossible task when the League of Villains first showed up, but though some of their number had proven formidable, Jomei's cautious optimism grew the closer he got to beginning his self-assigned mission.

Looking back, however, he realized that taking stock in that idea was just an appeal to ego.

But the moment he caught a glimpse of Eraserhead's battered condition, it was like a bombshell dropped. Jomei had never been so foolish to believe his teacher was invincible, but he had never seriously considered the possibility that Eraserhead wouldn't remain unscathed. Now, the sight of him clinging to life brought the reality of the situation to him with devastating force. The fact that he gave them a look that ordered them to keep moving, to disregard their heroic instincts to help him, only hurt less than the fact that they all _listened._

Jomei had to grab Akiko when she hesitated and as they were racing up the steps, something Aizawa had said before charging into battle came to mind.

_"Stay back! This isn't some game! Those are real villains, and all of you are in over your heads, so let us handle this!"_

Only now did Jomei realize how right his teacher's statement was.

Everyone in his group may have made it out of their zones unharmed, but that meant very little in the grand scheme of things. They were all still largely exhausted after fighting merely a few dozen villains _with_ their classmates to back them up. Meanwhile, Eraserhead had engaged an army single-handedly to ensure they all escaped.

He needed to get Aizawa help before it was too late. That was the plan, anyway.

When everyone arrived at the entrance, after Thirteen finished making sure all of them were ok, the first thing they learned was that Iida _had _in fact escaped, which meant that other pros wouldn't be far behind. Even though he had known Iida might escape before him, Jomei couldn't help but feel useless and anxious despite his relief that reinforcements would soon be coming.

He trusted Iida, sure, but hearing that someone was going to get help and _being _that person were two very different things.

Especially when being relegated to spectator duty and barred from doing _anything _to help the situation but stay out of trouble meant that he had no choice but to watch what happened next.

Every fiber of Jomei's being screamed at him to do something as he watched Aizawa's prone form, pinned beneath a monster that _exuded _terror – more so than even Shigaraki or Kurogiri – but Thirteen's orders kept him in place.

Even when Shigaraki charged at Tsuyu faster than the eye could follow, even as he realized there was nothing he could do even if he _wanted _to interfere, he stayed put, nothing more than a witness to Aizawa _still _protecting his students by nullifying whatever Shigaraki's Quirk was with his own. Bloody, bruised, and with shattered limbs he persevered, and Jomei was truly left in awe.

But that quickly became terror.

He may not have been able to hear what was being said, but as Aizawa's head was lifted up by Shigaraki's monster, a nauseous, churning dread sank into his gut. Every second that passed was another without reinforcements, and another that Thirteen forbade anyone from interfering, much to even the Space Hero's chagrin.

Every second that passed was one closer to Eraserhead's demise.

"We have to do something," Jomei breathed.

"We can't interfere, Nishimura," Thirteen warned.

Other students looked at him, but he paid it no mind. "Why? Eraserhead went down there to buy us time and we're just going to sit here and _watch him die!?_ Even if you don't let _us _do something, can't _you_ go and help him!?"

"Eraserhead gave me orders to protect you, and that's my priority right now. Besides, Kurogiri is fully capable of counteracting my Quirk – he could open a warp gate and disintegrate any one of us with my own power! I want to help Eraserhead too, but the risk of them destroying one of us is too great to take."

Jomei growled and his posture tensed even further when he turned around and his heart roared in his ears, drowning everything out but himself and the sight of Aizawa below.

He couldn't sit aside and watch him die.

He _wouldn't_.

Gas began to accumulate around his hand, and Thirteen's eyes went wide.

"Nishimura!"

"I don't care what you say Thirteen!" He aimed his hand toward Shigaraki. "You said we're supposed to use our Quirks to save others, so that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

And then something stunned him.

Or rather, stunned _everyone._

An instant before Jomei would've loosed his attack, the solid steel doors of the USJ went flying off their hinges. The movement of the villains below ceased, his Quirk dissipated, and all eyes turned toward the dust cloud kicked up by the new arrival.

For a few moments, only footsteps could be heard.

Then their source emerged from the cloud, his stride echoing throughout the enclosure of the USJ like an all-too-ominous warning to those who would become his foes.

Midoriya and Akiko spoke simultaneously. "All Might…"

Goosebumps emerged along his entire body, and Jomei had never been more glad to have been beaten to the punch of something so important before now. He was left breathless.

The number one hero had arrived, and in so doing… brought the true meaning of the Symbol of Peace with him.

Below, Shigaraki looked undeterred.

In fact, beneath the hand on his face… he_ smiled._

* * *

From outward appearances, All Might's stride looked determined and confident. The only evidence to the contrary was the furrowing of his brow, but that in of itself bespoke of what truly lay hidden beneath his calm-inducing, iconic exterior.

All Might currently contained the liquid fury of a star coursing through his veins.

Something he was only barely keeping at bay by sheer force of will.

At the villains who dared plan an attack the USJ, at the criminals backing them, and most of all, he was furious at himself.

His students had been going through a nightmare no child should ever have to suffer through during their first year of training to become a hero, let alone their first month_._ They'd been forced to fight for their lives against adults who had nothing but the intent to kill them for doing little more than wishing to one day enforce justice on those with malicious goals. This kind of situation was one even Pro Heroes dreaded encountering, and his students were forced to face it for real on the day of what _should _have been an uplifting training exercise. The fact that none of the ones near Thirteen seemed to be injured was of little solace to him, either.

While his children were fighting for their lives, what had he been doing?

Getting lectured by Principal Nezu about how using up his time in his hero form could endanger more lives than those he'd saved on his commute to work. All Might may not have intended for his heroic instincts to get the better of him earlier this morning, but… damn it if he'd deny that Nezu had a point.

He needed only to look so far as the battle-damaged USJ to see that.

But even still, he was here now, and young Iida was rallying even more reinforcements as time went on. For now, though, he needed to put his students at ease. He owed them that much – not just as their teacher, but as the Symbol of Peace.

"It's really him…" Ashido teared up.

"Ha _ha_! We're in the clear!" Sato cheered. "These villains won't know what hit 'em!"

"But, sir!" Sero interjected. "How'd you get here so fast?"

All Might's stride continued undeterred. "I couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong here when Aizawa and Thirteen didn't answer my calls… so I hurried over, and encountered young Iida along the way. He informed me of the villainy that was going down here, and thus… here I am."

He let out a veiled sound of disgust.

_'The things that these first-years must have seen… and _done _to survive this… I dread to think of it. But even still… I must assure them that everything's going to be okay…'_

He stopped near the steps leading to the plaza below, and the earth rumbled beneath his feet.

"So there's no need to fear students… why? Because _I am here._"

And he knew those words to be true.

As the Symbol of Peace, it was his _duty _to make them true.

Meanwhile, at the grand plaza his gaze was fixed upon, Shigaraki spoke once again.

"So after all this queue time… the raid boss finally decides to show up…" He giddily smiled.

The other villains were far less excited.

"Is it just me or does he seem bigger than before…?"

"He's _huge…_"

"I've never seen him in real life!"

"You better _hope _you haven't… idiot."

All Might looked to the presumed ringleader's side, and caught a glimpse of Aizawa. The sight of his colleague, pinned, bloodied, and battered, only made his blood boil even hotter. He took one step forward-

"All Might!" Thirteen called.

All Might stopped and turned his head.

"The fog villain below, Kurogiri, has a warp Quirk, but we don't know what the other two near the skinny one are capable of doing. _You're _their target, so be careful!"

"Duly noted, Thirteen. Thank you."

"And All Might, sir?" Nishimura asked.

"Hm?"

"Save Eraserhead," he said grimly. "He jumped right into all the villains down there just to buy us time."

All the Pro Hero returned was a wordless nod. It would take the forces of heaven and earth to stop him from doing so, but his pupil's heart was in the right place in merely making such a request. Class 1-A would be like forged steel after this incident, and become fine students, but for now…

He had a job to do.

Shigaraki chuckled. "Looks like we didn't need to take down any trash mobs after all. Nomu? Get rid of the mini-boss. He's done for anyway."

The order registered, Nomu lifted the barely-conscious Aizawa above his head and prepared to cast him aside.

All Might cracked his knuckles.

_'It begins.'_

Aizawa was sent flying, and All Might _moved._

It didn't even take a second. One moment every goon that remained standing among the villains stood ready for action, Aizawa was in the air, and Shigaraki stood calm and in control. In the next, all those statements were invalidated. Faster than the eye could comprehend, All Might knocked out every petty thug in the plaza, caught Aizawa as gently as he could, and knocked the hand on Shigaraki's face off in one fell swoop. He also noticed and rescued Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta before reappearing out of harm's way – Aizawa still cradled in his arms. The abomination that had thrown him remained motionless.

"Wait… what happened?" Mineta uttered.

Midoriya looked up at his mentor, and All Might resisted the urge to look back. His successor, his torchbearer of One for All would have to wait. Right now, the shattered man that lay in his arms was his priority.

"All Might…" Aizawa said weakly, his voice pained and hardly a whisper. "The big one… Nomu… super strength. Other one… Shigaraki… don't let him touch you. Destroyed my elbow…"

He let out a pained noise and slipped into unconsciousness.

"Rest now, Aizawa…" All Might said, and set him on the ground. "You've done more than enough for today. Midoriya?"

"Oh! Y-yeah, All Might?"

"Take Aizawa and bring him to safety. He doesn't have much time."

"Y-yes, sir!"

In a few dozen seconds, the three students took their teacher quickly up the stairs, where Takara and Nishimura met them halfway to help expedite the ascent. Overhead, Yaoyorozu and Jiro were preparing first aid in anticipation of the wounded arrival.

_'Good… they're keeping their heads on straight, even now. Just hold on a little longer, Aizawa.'_

All Might turned back to face Shigaraki, who now seemed to be in the midst of a slight breakdown.

"Still… still too fast… couldn't see him coming, _father…_" He gingerly replaced the hand on his face from where he had picked it up off the ground, and his breathing steadied. "But of course a government hero would instantly resort to violence. Still, he isn't as fast as I thought he'd be… as he used to be. So it's true… he really _is _getting weaker."

The titan refused to react, even if it was true. Ever since he gave One for All to Midoriya, he was destined to lose the power that his unique Quirk provided him over time… even faster due to the hole in his stomach.

His hero time was already wearing thin.

"Even if that were true, villain, that doesn't change what's going to happen to you next!"

His legs tensed. The lead villain hadn't reacted to him rescuing the students or Aizawa, but possessed a Quirk that could disintegrate things if he touched them. On paper it'd seem like closing the distance would be the last thing someone should've done to fight him, but he knew he could move faster than the villain could react.

Which meant that he could take the villains' leader out immediately.

He charged forward with speed unmatched, and his arms crossed diagonally in preparation for his attack. "_Carolina…_"

"Nomu."

_"SMASH!"_

The goliath reacted immediately. One second All Might had a clear path to attack Shigaraki, and the next, the monster appeared and intercepted the attack. The air pressure from the attack sent dirt and water flying in muddy waves, but the beast gave no indication that the attack had even registered.

It didn't give All Might a chance to try again, however, and lunged forward in a hasty grab the moment it looked down at him. All Might jumped backward.

_'Aizawa was right… this guy must be strong if it took a full-force attack of mine with no effect…'_

The Nomu lurched through the distance between them, and the hero ducked under the clumsy right hook that followed.

_'But let's see how tough he really is!'_

A punch to the monster's stomach followed, but again, the impact did nothing. Two punches to the sides of its beaked face and all the hero earned for his trouble was the sensation of his fists hissing against flesh.

"Pretty good punching bag you've got here! I daresay I could almost _feel _it when I hit him!" He taunted.

He avoided another attack of the Nomu's, and continued his experimental assault.

"Oh, that's because Nomu has shock absorption, All Might. The only way you'd hurt him is to slowly gouge out his flesh – but something tells me he won't let you do that!" Shigaraki chuckled confidently. "You've finally met your match!"

All Might smiled, and ducked beneath another punch.

"Get the villain monologuing – oldest trick in the book!" He dashed behind the Nomu and locked his arms around its waist. "So thanks for the advice! First it's this guy, _then it's on to_ _you!_"

One super-suplex later, and all that could be seen was a building-sized dust cloud.

* * *

Jomei and Akiko were the first to react when their classmates came up the stairs with Aizawa's body between them. They both sprinted down the stairs to expedite their teacher's journey to safety while the others waited for them to approach. Upon their return, Thirteen, Akiko, Yaoyorozu, and Kyoka immediately set to work to stabilize him. Nothing could be done yet about his broken bones, torn tendons, or his elbow, but they were able to stop the bleeding and buy him enough time for more help to arrive. Denki, meanwhile, was just trying to stay cool in the face of the mangled injuries before him, and Tokoyami was gracious enough to tolerate him.

Meanwhile, with nothing left for them to do, Jomei and Midoriya found themselves intently watching All Might's fight.

Jomei's heart hammered in his chest. He still couldn't yet process how much danger they were all in. Even with All Might here, it didn't change what had happened before he'd arrived, and it didn't change the very real certainty that they were _still _in danger. Shigaraki's monster withstanding All Might's full-force punch was enough of an indication of that.

But then he picked up on Midoriya's unease, and he tried to set aside his own for the time being.

"I think All Might's got this."

Emphasis on _tried._

Midoriya shifted nervously. "Maybe he does… but I'm still worried. The villains came here with the intent to kill All Might, they told us that much… and between that monster, Shigaraki, and Kurogiri, it isn't unlikely that they have a plan in place so that they actually _can._"

Jomei's hands balled into fists. So much for trying to set aside his own fears. "Do you really think the villains are smart enough to do that?"

He nodded. "Think about it – they broke into the USJ and scattered our class with just one of their team, and that's not even taking into consideration how they somehow bypassed the alarms. They're at least a cut above the average villain. They wouldn't just assume that they could beat All Might… I think they _know _they can."

_'And we're just standing here watching him fight for our lives… just like with Aizawa.'_

The familiar warmth of his Quirk wrapping around his hand caught Jomei's attention. He wasn't going to sit idly by to what could be the most dangerous battle All Might had ever fought. It wasn't just his life on the line, it was everyone in Class 1-A's too, and he'd be damned if he was going to let another one of his teachers fight it alone while outnumbered.

Jomei started toward the battle, and it seemed Midoriya came to the same resolution beside him.

"Wait."

Akiko's command halted them mid-step, and they turned around.

"I'll admit it Midoriya, you're smart. You beat Bakugo in your battle trial, and he seems like a guy who knows how to fight, so you're probably right about the villains too." Her voice had an unfamiliar, determined edge. "But I do have trouble with you two running into a fight because you think the number one hero is going to have trouble with it."

Jomei's shoulders slumped. "But-"

"You'd be distractions at best and hostages or dead at worst!" Akiko blurted fiercely as her eyes widened. "I know how you feel. I know you want to help, to try and prevent what happened to Aizawa from happening to All Might, but… I'm not going to let you throw away your life – or Midoriya's – by running in there. All Might told us to fight smarter, not harder, so we need to have faith that he'll take his own advice and make the most of what he knows about those villains."

As Akiko's pleading eyes met his, a chill settled in Jomei's stomach. He knew Akiko was right, that she was trying to keep him from doing something stupid, but still…

"She's right."

"What?"

"She's right," Midoriya repeated solemnly. "I want to get in there too, but… I also know All Might wouldn't let us down even when he is out of t… when he's at his limit!" His hand tightened. "It hurts, but we've got to trust him!

Akiko met Jomei's gaze. "And if you don't want to trust him… trust me."

Finally, Jomei exhaled. He knew that he and Midoriya would still be eager to jump in at a moment's notice, but he also knew that he wanted everyone to come out of this alive. He needed to make sure Akiko would always come out alive.

So it was about time he took her advice and started making sure _he _would be too.

But as he watched All Might's fight, the pit in his stomach remained, and he doubted it would be going anywhere anytime soon.

The pair's first exchange of blows was merely an opening spat, a way to measure each other's strength – the real fight would begin when the dust settled after All Might's last attack.

And then the true force of conflict between two titans would be felt.

* * *

All Might fully expected his suplex to have at least stunned Nomu long enough to get some good hits in. After Shigaraki had taken his bait and flat-out told him his brutish bodyguard's weakness, it was just a matter of immobilizing the damn thing before taking advantage of that information before the other villains could intervene. It was as sound a plan as could be conceived on such short notice, especially given the strength of his current foe.

But instead of feeling the impact of the monster's skull and exposed brain hitting concrete, he felt the thing's momentum continue long after it should've been buried in the ground.

Thirteen's warning immediately came to mind.

In an instant, All Might released his grip on the beast and flipped out of the way of the monster's hands as they appeared from an impossible angle. His backflip continued until he landed a few meters further back, and he finally understood what had transpired.

The Nomu's body was split between two locations. Its lower half remained bent where All Might had started his suplex, and its upper half was now grasping at the empty air where he used to be – and both halves were surrounded by the ominous purple fog that connected the two points. Kurogiri's work.

Had the attack been successful, All Might would've likely been undone. The Nomu would've had free reign to immobilize him, and Kurogiri himself would no doubt have been able to cleave the hero in two by simply snapping his warp gates shut.

"What kind of cheap trick is this?" he demanded. "What, afraid your bodyguard can't take a hit?"

"Oh, I know Nomu could take a hit, but the thing is… a perma-stun like you just tried to pull? That's just cheap." Shigaraki raised his hands in a flippant gesture. "I was hoping Nomu would find a crit spot on you and latch on, but… there's more than one way to cook an egg."

_'Which means that they likely have multiple strategies in place to take me down… that warp villain and Nomu are integral to his plan, but Shigaraki himself hasn't moved. If he thought he could've been useful in this fight he would've done so already.'_

His muscles tensed. _'Which means he's most likely the weakest of the three… he knows he wouldn't be able to touch me before I could get a hit on him.'_

All Might wasn't a genius with technology. He, his students, and his colleagues all knew it. But there was something he knew about himself that many would often overlook. He may have possessed overwhelming power that made most fights a cinch, but there was more than just that insurmountable strength that guided him to victory in every encounter.

He had strategy.

Unfortunately, so too did his foes.

"More importantly… you aren't the only one who knows some tricks." Shigaraki's fingers twitched. "Kurogiri."

In a moment, he was gone.

All Might whirled in anticipation of the surprise attack, and his prediction proved true. A portal appeared behind him from which a wiry hand thrust out to grab him – but as he prepared a righteous counterattack, he felt a glimmer of movement behind him.

Nomu.

_'It was bait!'_

Shigaraki's hand disappeared in another blip of fog, and All Might spun around to defend himself when he realized it was too late. He'd fallen for the feint, the Nomu was too fast, and all he could do was brace for the inevitable attack.

But then the Nomu froze.

Literally.

The entire right side of its body had crusted over mid-air with a thick layer of ice, and the monster remained still, as if the sudden possibility of frostbite didn't even phase it.

Before All Might could question the sudden turn of events, a new voice intruded on his thoughts.

"I'm sorry I was late." Todoroki then glared at the villains. "After interrogating one of your goons about your plan to kill All Might, I must say I'm unimpressed. The number one hero won't be taken down by petty thugs, and if you're the League's best… you don't stand a chance."

Kurogiri stirred angrily. "You dare mock the League of Villains?! Impudent child, you know not what you're dealing wi-"

An explosive tackle to the villain's back sent him skittering along the ground, tearing through dirt and rock in a cloud of smoke that only stopped right next to All Might's feet.

The smoke cleared and Bakugo's grip on Kurogiri's neck brace tightened. "Oh, I think we know _exactly _what we're dealing with, dumbass!"

"And don't forget about me, Bakugo!" Kirishima shouted.

He plummeted from above, aiming a hardened fist directly at Shigaraki, but the villain moved with unnatural speed away from the imminent impact. Kirishima merely landed harmlessly on the ground where Shigaraki had been.

"Aw, come on, that was gonna be cool!" He jumped back to join his allies.

"Oh, and these two just followed me here," Todoroki deadpanned.

"Yeah right, you icy-hot bastard!" Bakugo seethed.

Kirishima struck a combat-ready pose. "I mean we did come to take down this smoke guy, and he came here to help All Might, so… he isn't entirely wrong, I guess."

"SHUT UP!"

_'Note to self – praise and reprimand these three students for entering this fight later. For now…'_

All Might turned his attention back to Shigaraki.

"H… how did you figure out I have a physical body?" Kurogiri grunted.

"Because you got careless, you dumb villain!" Bakugo leaned in closer. "It was simple. I figured that after my first attack missed your body that you couldn't be entirely comprised of this mist stuff. I knew that you must have had a physical body to be worried about, or else you wouldn't be moving your Quirk around you to try and distract us, and you sure as hell wouldn't be wearing this neck armor! You aren't immune to physical attacks – they've just gotta hit the right spot."

Kurogiri attempted to move, but Bakugo set off a small explosion with his Quirk, dissuading any further struggle.

"Don't move. You try any smart shit and I'll blow you apart so bad they'll be picking up the pieces for weeks." Bakugo grinned.

"Not sounding very heroic there…" Kirishima warned.

"Doesn't matter! Bastard warps us away like flies and thinks he can get away with it?! Yeah, right! Besides… he's their ticket out of here. Keep him locked down and these clowns are dead!"

Shigarkai stood unsettlingly calm. "So… these students escaped uninjured and captured my two best men… huh. Quite the tricky situation we're in. All Might's unharmed… our tank is frozen in place… and my escape route is silenced. Kids these days sure are incredible, I'll give them that. They make the League of Villains seem like chumps… that just won't do."

_'He doesn't seem worried… this can't be good.'_

"Nomu."

The beast moved. Even with half of its body encased in ice and in danger of flat-out shattering, it strained against its icy prison and the ice cracked…

And its frozen limbs both shattered into fleshy shards.

It fell to the ground with a thud but kept moving. The exposed stumps where its limbs had been let out a sickening squelching noise, and the Nomu itself let out an inhuman groan as its limbs began to regenerate_._ Muscle, bone, sinew, it didn't matter – all of it quickly returned until all that was left to regain was the dark skin that wrapped it all together.

"Well, that was annoying," Shigaraki deadpanned. "But I guess that's just raid bosses for you… they always have ads and extra tricks up their sleeves to make things more difficult…"

"What was that?" All Might asked. "You told me his Quirk was shock absorption!"

"Shock absorption is _one _of his Quirks… Nomu was designed to fight you at one hundred percent of your power, meaning that he's your perfect counter. A walking punching bag that hits you back."

"How is that possible…" Todoroki conjectured.

Kirishima's arms hardened. "I dunno, but he's done healing up, so get ready!"

His arm frothed with ice. "Right."

Their teacher's eyes widened. "No, both of you-!"

"Nomu. Get our ride."

Faster than everyone's perception beyond All Might's own, the Nomu rushed forward, over a metric ton of condensed muscle and killing intent making a dead charge towards Kurogiri.

And Bakugo.

All Might's legs moved faster than they'd been able to carry him since his ill-fated battle with All for One. Whether he'd later chalk up his speed to adrenaline and the instinct to protect, or to something else, it didn't matter. What did was what happened after both titans returned to the realm of visibility to their respective allies.

At first, it appeared that All Might and the Nomu hadn't moved.

But then everyone noticed Kurogiri secured in Nomu's massive grasp, right next to Shigaraki, while Bakugo was safely secured in his teacher's arms near his peers. The former remained unwaveringly still, its task complete.

"Objective complete. Would've been nice to see the brat turned into a fine red paste, but I guess you can't win them all."

All Might set a bewildered Bakugo down, and his arms tensed. "All of you. Leave, and let me handle this."

"With all due respect, sir, if it weren't for our intervention that monster would have had a clear shot on you," Todoroki argued. "I believe that we'd be of better use here, where we can assist you in battle."

"And I appreciate that young Todoroki, but now isn't the time to stay in the way!" His fists tightened. "You may say that you'd be of assistance to me here, but would you rather stay where I have to worry about your safety, or would you rather let the Symbol of Peace fight without restraint?"

Todoroki fell silent. After a moment he nodded.

Bakugo looked like he was about to argue, but stopped himself. "Tch. Whatever."

"Kick these bad guy's asses, All Might!" Kirishima cheered, and the pair were off.

As the students left, the Symbol of Peace maintained his iconic composure, but when they left his line of sight and his focus returned to the villains, All Might's seething rage returned in full force. He didn't doubt that Bakugo had been in danger when Nomu charged, but Shigaraki's flippant dismissal of attempted murder – of a child, no less – set him on the verge of going ballistic.

"You _**dare **_to try and harm a child? Without holding back?" His entire body flexed. "Alright then villain… how about I show you what a _real _hero can do!?"

"A real hero?" Shigaraki snickered. "Don't make me laugh. These kids are no saints – the blond one was threatening my companion, and you heard his threat. What sort of hero threatens to _kill_ their hostage? And you want to know what… there's a big problem with heroes, and because I'm feeling generous I'll spell it out for you. It's that they can get away with as much violence as they want as long as they say it's for the sake of others. That pisses me off – that some people get to decide which acts are heroic and which are villainous. Passing judgment on what's good and what's evil. You say you're the Symbol of Peace?"

He tilted his head. "You're nothing but a state-sponsored instrument of violence. And what's the old saying? Violence always begets more violence_._ Once you're dead, I'll make sure the whole world knows exactly how true that is."

"You're nothing but a lunatic. You spout ideology and appeal to nobility, but we both know that it's all a thinly-veiled excuse to bring other people pain!" All Might said. "Admit it! You just inflict all this harm because you enjoy it!"

Shigaraki's eyes narrowed. "Guess there's no fooling you, huh? Well, it was worth a shot anyway."

_'He's insane…'_

"Oh, and you wanted to show us what a 'real' hero can do, right? Well go on ahead, give us that honor. Nomu? Round two – _start._"

A pained roar rumbled outward from the beast's jagged maw, and it kicked up a storm of dirt and wind as it launched itself towards All Might. Despite the imminent reality of the Nomu's body slamming into his own, and despite the thing's speed matching his own, time seemed to pass in a slow crawl. The Nomu slowed mid-air, high winds became a light breeze, and the only thing that remained was his own breathing and his thoughts.

He had barely three minutes left in his hero form.

But his blood was still boiling from the Nomu charging Bakugo without relent and nearly pulverizing him.

And his resolve was renewed once more.

_'I have to stop these villains… why?'_

Bakugo, Todoroki, and Kirishima were all up the stairs and in relative safety.

Which meant he didn't need to hold back.

_'Because I am the eighth holder of One for All… I am the world's symbol of peace and justice!'_

The Nomu had nearly closed the distance, letting out a feral growl as it raised a fist to complete its momentum-assisted attack. Its shadow hung over All Might like a cloud, and the hero's blue eyes burned with righteous fury.

_'And I cannot lose!'_

Their fists met, and the Nomu was stopped dead in its tracks.

All Might slowly glared up at it, the willpower of stars encapsulated in his expression.

_'I _**WILL **_**NOT LOSE!**__'_

The resulting pressure of their fists connecting sent gale-force winds cascading from their point of contact. The impact of their legs digging into the ground for more force shattered stone for hundreds of meters. Shigaraki grunted, the combined effects sent him sliding back, and it was all the villain could do to avoid being flung away outright by the bombardment.

A second punch of equal force was launched between the titans, and another storm was born.

A third followed, faster than the last.

And then a fourth, a fifth, and more still until the frequency of their fists' clashing became little more than a blur to anyone besides the pair throwing the attacks. The bellowing of the wind grew violent, louder, dwarfing the cacophony of noise even a typhoon could forge within its maw.

The Symbol of Peace roared, and the assault hastened.

So too did the wind.

Shigaraki finally found purchase on the ground with the help of a nearby rock, and Kurogiri desperately fought to prevent his own slide backward, his gaseous form whipping around wildly within the furious gale.

"No, no! Shigaraki, I can't get near him!" He bellowed against the storm.

_'Good! One less thing to worry about!'_

And faster still, he fought.

"What are you doing, you fool!" Shigaraki shouted. "We've been over this, Nomu has shock absorption!"

"Yeah? _What about it?!_" All Might dug his foot into the earth. "You said his power was shock absorption, not nullification! _So that means there must be a limit to what he can take, RIGHT?!_"

Against all odds, his blows began to strike true.

The Nomu couldn't keep up.

It's dark skin rippled with each impact that connected, and it started to lose ground.

The anti-Symbol of Peace was being _pushed back._

All Might started to randomize his blows while maintaining his constant counters to the monster's attacks, hitting wherever he could without sacrificing his defense. Their herculean struggle uprooted trees and tore nearby zones apart piece by piece, and through the roaring wind, All Might could've sworn he heard his students cheering him on.

His fiery determination burned ever hotter.

"_Alright big guy… _if you can really fight me toe-to-toe at one hundred percent of my power…"

Shigaraki bristled.

"Then I'll just have to go _beyond _that and _force you to surrender!_"

His cascade of chaotic strikes continued, and small triumphs started to connect one after the other. He scored hits on the Nomu's face, the underside of its jaw, and its jugular, and the thing began to reel back under the force of his blows. Without so much as making a sound, it spat blood and gore, and All Might was thankful his battle had whipped up a dust cloud, obscuring the grotesque sight from his students.

Even still, the Nomu continued its offensive, breaking the skin on All Might's cheek as one of its own attacks connected, and nearly causing him to cough up blood when another punch hit him right in his weakened side.

But what should have stopped the hero dead in his tracks only succeeded in raising his ire, and his efforts found themselves redoubled.

"A _real _hero…"

He saw an opening, and he took it. An uppercut sent the abomination flying, and the earth bellowed underfoot as All Might soared to intercept the Nomu before it hit the ground. He grabbed its wrist before it could attack him and started to spin. It reached out to grab him with its free hand, but it was too late.

"_Always _finds a way to deliver justice!"

A cataclysmic kick that would've broken the eardrums of anyone nearby connected to the Nomu's face, and its impact forged a new building-sized crater in the ground.

It bounced upward, and All Might slammed into the ground before the beast could even move.

"Now for a lesson. You may have heard these words before, but this time I'll teach you what they really mean!"

Shigaraki's eyes widened.

His students screamed encouragement.

Eight generations of power stockpiled into a single Quirk coalesced in his fist, and he could hear his predecessors' battle cries screaming in his ears like roaring engines to deliver the final blow.

He was only too happy to oblige.

"_GO BEYOND…_ _**PLUS ULTRA!**_"

A punch like no other flew true. The hydrogen in the air ignited, All Might's fist sank forearm-deep into the Nomu as its shock absorption was pushed past its limit, and after a few more seconds of feeble resistance, the USJ trembled… and the beast flew.

It rocketed upward like a cannonball, exploding through the air and the ceiling of the USJ alike, and at the unfathomable speed it was going, it would keep flying untold distances before it so much as slowed down a hair.

And the only thing anyone watching could attest to seeing was a black and red blur blinking out of existence, and the USJ gaining a new skylight out of nowhere.

"Looks like I really have gotten weaker… back in my heyday, it would've taken just five hits to knock someone like him out… but today…" He crossed a fist over his chest. "It took over 300 mighty blows."

Steam emerged from his skin. His abdomen screamed as the pain from the Nomu's impact caused it to bleed, and his dress shirt was left little more than a tattered rag over his chest when the dust started to settle.

_'Less than a minute left… wounded weak spot… make this time count, All Might.'_

"You've been bested villains," he stated. "Surrender, and this will be over quickly."

The Symbol of Peace remained stalwart.

The same could not be said for Shigaraki, however.

His hands reached up to his neck, and he started scratching. "You cheated…"

"What's wrong? Not attacking me? You started round two, didn't you? Well come and finish it… if you dare."

All Might knew if he could avoid more bloodshed, he would… but he also wouldn't hesitate to finish this conflict by force, either.

But then again…

_'Just a few more seconds…'_

Shigaraki's nails cut into his skin. "You… you… _why?_ Why is it that every time a party plans a quest the dungeon master just _has _to come from on high and crush the players' hopes of an _easy win!?_"

"What? You believe you can triumph without hard work and dedication? Villain, if you think that victory will be handed to you on a silver platter then you have much to learn. Now, what's your answer?" He warned. "Surrender? Or be taken in by _force_?"

The goons strewn about the plaza that he'd knocked out long ago began to stir. He was running out of time.

But it didn't matter. He had bought as much as he needed to… even if his hero form time would be shortened even further still due to the strain of this battle.

"Wait… third option." Shigaraki noticed his followers' moving, and he started to calm. His scratching stopped. "Your health pool and stamina has got to be low by now… my party members are almost back up… Kurogiri."

"Yes, Shigaraki."

"We can do this…" His hands twitched, and he started to move.

Only for his arms and legs to be shot clean through from afar.

_'Round two over. Victory goes to the heroes.'_

* * *

"Iida!?" Akiko shouted.

"Your class rep has returned!" He declared. "I have fulfilled my duty… and I brought reinforcements!"

Midnight, Present Mic, Snipe, Power Loader, the principal himself and more stood at his back.

A veritable platoon of pros had arrived, and one of their number had _already _incapacitated the League's leader. Jomei, meanwhile, was frozen in place, his mouth agape at the shock and relief he felt in that moment.

"How…?"

Snipe's gun smoldered. "Homing plus bullets. Hell of a combination, kid. Oh, and by the way, 1-A?" He tipped his cowboy hat. "None of you really thought we pros would just take our sweet time getting over here when we heard you were in trouble, didja?"

"Now I know we're late, but we got here as fast as we could!" Nezu smiled. "Snipe? Incapacitate those furthest from the stairs."

With a flourish of his modified pistol, Snipe's Quirk-assisted rain of bullets started flying true once more. "You got it."

"Everyone else? You know what to do."

Ectoplasm stepped up next. The only exposed part of his body beyond his trenchcoat, peg-legs, and the black helmet-obscured head was his large-toothed, lipless maw, and it opened without a second of hesitation. An odd, viscous substance erupted forth and shaped into exact duplicates of himself that raced through the air like ghosts towards the other zones. Several other pros launched themselves to follow after them, and yet still plenty of heroes remained to protect the students.

"And Nishimura?"

Jomei turned to the familiar voice. "Yeah?"

Present Mic pulled down his glasses and winked. "Let me show ya what a _real _pro can do!"

"Uh… okay?"

He walked forward with abandon and cleared his throat when he reached the stairs. A dozen of the still-standing villains were charging up towards their new opponents, and an almost unsettlingly happy smirk appeared on Present Mic's face.

"Alrighty, villains!" He shouted. "_Can I get a __**YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!?**_"

His Quirk boomed into existence, and sonic waves the size of buildings bowled the brutes right back down from whence they came. The few that remained huddled to the ground, clutching their heads before they too succumbed to the eardrum-shattering onslaught.

Eventually, the pro paused. "Now how's _that _for a performance, huh?"

'_Oh… right. Man-child rivalry…'_

"Well… it was impressive, but…" He noticed a gaseous cloud wrapping around Shigaraki. "The lead villain's about to get away!"

Snipe twitched, and his bullets soared towards Kurogiri, only to disappear through a warp gate raised in his defense. "Damnit! Good catch kid! Hey, we need someone to catch 'em from a distance!"

Thirteen ran to the edge of the stairs. "I'm on it! I've got a bone to pick with this guy!"

All of their fingers uncapped.

"_Black Hole!_"

The suction that ensued only avoided all other villains below by the grace of the Space Hero's aim, and the force of the attack was so great that Kurogiri and Shigaraki both were being swiftly dragged towards the pillars of justice. There was a glimmer of movement as Shigaraki roared something unintelligible to those above, and the warping villain blinked out of existence, his master in tow.

"No! They got away!" Thirteen exclaimed.

"No matter. Our primary objective is still to incapacitate the rest of the villains and secure our students' safety immediately!" Nezu cheerfully advised.

The pros turned to him. "_Understood!_"

The tides of justice then swept forth.

And Jomei was left in awe.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Welp! I think I wanted to be a bit more original in terms of the climactic fight, but I (obviously) just ended up making my own little tweaks. I thought staying true to canon with only minor edits to the happenings was the best thing to do. Jomei and Akiko's existence does play a role here, sure, but I didn't think it'd be logical to have them steal the show – in terms of character or power level – in this instance. Don't ya worry though! WFAF is still Akiko and Jomei's story, and boy oh boy will we be back to them soon. If you're wondering what's going through their heads after all this is said and done, you may be pleased to see what's in store!**

**Oh, and Snipe? Never change, man. I love this guy so much, and he's in MHA less than even like… Midnight or Present Mic. Bless his soul for somehow being cool anyway.**

**PS: Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I had it ready to be edited by my beta for a while, but… life got in the way, as it often does. I will still be aiming to release the next chapter three weeks after the intended release date for this chapter, but we'll see how things go.**


	16. In Due Time

Many things happened after the pro teachers' arrival at the USJ.

Of course, the provision of relief and reinforcements to the students still fighting in their respective zones was the most immediate occurrence, but more than that, their actions humbled Class 1-A for what must have been the umpteenth time that day. Aizawa and Thirteen had displayed courage, drive, and valor in spades – to speak nothing of All Might's titanic conflict – but every other pro also proved themselves to possess an equally stalwart nature within moments of their arrival. As a result, Class 1-A was given yet another reminder of how far they had to go to become pros.

After the Pro Heroes got to work, it was no surprise when the lingering dregs of the League were all swept away like ants. Any villains who remained active in zones alongside the still-scattered students stood no chance against their pro adversaries. Meanwhile, the zones that had students who had _escaped _from villains were given another once-over with the kids that had been dropped there in the first place and the villains who laid defeated there were taken into custody.

It was also soon realized, thanks to Todoroki's observations, that the USJ was the only place that had been attacked. After all, if U.A. itself had been under siege, such a large group of pros such as the one that had come to reinforce them wouldn't have been as quick to arrive on the scene.

Jomei used that particular nugget of information to distract himself as much as possible as he and Present Mic swept through the downpour zone. It was small solace, to be sure, but it was a welcome distraction to him as the villain cleanup progressed. It let him ignore the mental itch that was gnawing away at him just that little bit longer.

When he and Present Mic completed their tour-slash-sweep, the pro dismissed him, saying he could handle the rest. Afterward, Jomei was given a swift debrief from the police on-scene, similar to the rest of Class 1-A, and was more-or-less left to his own devices. He would've sought out company, but many students were still being debriefed, helping pros inside, or discussing what had transpired during the events just a short time ago.

Looking around, Jomei saw Denki and Kyoka divulging the details of their exploits with Iida, the former embellishing his own heroism while the latter kept him in check. Tokoyami was occupied in discussing the time he spent in the downpour zone with Koda and Kirishima. Even Akiko was busy with Ashido, the latter assailing her with the details of everything that had transpired between Kurogiri and Thirteen.

It left Jomei feeling somewhat alone, with only his thoughts, so long repressed during the League's attack as it occurred, to keep him company.

Which happened to be the worst-case scenario for him right now.

Even if the crisis was firmly under control, his heart still reeled from the chaos. They'd won in the end, sure, but it didn't change the reality that Aizawa had nearly died and was now being rushed to a hospital for treatment by Recovery Girl. Evidently, even All Might needed some medical attention because he too had been ushered out of the USJ without Jomei even so much as catching a glimpse of him.

Both living pillars of what U.A. symbolized.

Both now hospitalized.

The knowledge that they were being sent to one of the most capable doctors in Japan did little to alleviate the tension mounting in Jomei's shoulders. He still knew quite well _why _he hadn't interfered in either of his teachers' fights, but it didn't change how useless he felt.

But the thing that was stressing him out the most wasn't what had already transpired with people he'd only known a relatively short period of time; it was what he was realizing about someone he'd known for years.

Someone who had saved his life multiple times that day and someone who showed more care for his well-being than even he himself possessed at times.

It was then, as his thoughts finally caught up with him that Jomei wandered towards an isolated light post to escape the confusion around him. With the police keeping an eye on the students, he couldn't go further, so he instead closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the warm metal in an attempt to calm down.

He was successful… to a degree.

Did his heart slow down? Sure. Did the tension ease from his shoulders for the first time in what felt like an eternity? Absolutely, but instead of relief, exhaustion and fatigue filled the gaps left behind, and the thoughts he'd tried to ignore shoved themselves to the surface.

His hand shakily found its way to his necklace, and he took a deep breath.

"You were right, Mom…"

The words were barely a whisper, but they carried with them the undeniable reality that he would have to once again examine the words of wisdom his mother had provided him. He had stayed up long into the night ruminating upon them the day they were given to him, and yet still he knew he wound up choosing indecision over action. In postponing truly accepting the actions her words would lead him to take, he had effectively ignored them entirely – but they were all unquestionably right.

On so many levels. Most specifically, on the matter of chaos. Had he been wiser, her being a living testament to the random fits of cruelty life could bestow upon people would have tipped him off to this, but he had denied the idea that very same chaos could affect him. He thought he'd at _least _have enough time to become a pro, or at least train, before he too was faced with the same dangerous situations as heroes and his mother both had to deal with.

As the depths of the danger Class 1-A was dropped into sank in, his mind was left awash in the numerous 'what-ifs' that could have occurred while everything was still spiraling out of control. He wasn't naive; he understood that he could expect this kind of horror on a regular basis as a pro, but he'd thought he would have just a little more _time. _More time to prepare, to mentally fortify himself, to better understand what he'd be walking into when he graduated from U.A and entered the world of adults.

It occurred to him that this too was a form of his procrastination, but that realization did nothing to stop him from feeling the anxiety that remained after the League's attack put everyone's lives on the line… and a specific individual's in particular.

And as each 'what-if' stormed about his mind, a single mote of his mother's wisdom came ever closer to the forefront of his thoughts.

_"Life can get chaotic and dangerous, Jomei, and it's up to us to make the most of the time we have."_

Everything around him felt like it ground to a halt, and his eyes snapped open.

He hadn't lost her. No, he hadn't lost her, but he could have_._ His mother was skilled at what she did but that hadn't saved her when life decided it was her turn to be dealt a bad hand. He'd be a fool to believe his skills would always save him, or more importantly, that they would always save _Akiko_.

The epiphany made his heart skip a beat. They were both unscathed, but there had been multiple times where the only things that saved them were their wits or their friends' intervention. None of it could be relied upon to always be enough to keep them safe.

So this was it. He had to confront himself and finally _do something _for once, whether he thought he was ready to or not.

He looked over at Akiko and, after a moment's hesitation, started in her direction. It was time to make good on his mother's advice because, as always, her words were absolutely true.

There was no more time to waste.

* * *

"Wait, so you held a villain that was _two stories tall _still!? That's _amazing!_" Ashido gushed.

The girl bounced in place, all exuberance and energy permeating her being. After everything she'd been through, Akiko was tempted to accept that it was a comical and relieving thing to see, but couldn't manage to share in Ashido's enthusiasm.

Akiko's crystal core turned magenta. "I mean it wasn't like it was all me, alone… I had two other people backing me up the whole time. Ojiro was all on his own in the conflagration zone, so I think he should be getting more of your praise…"

"He totally will, but right now it's all you! You should be proud of yourself! I was with _five _other people and we couldn't even take out one stupid villain!" Her arms flailed outwards. "You took out _dozens!_"

"You did save Thirteen, though…" Akiko countered, "that was pretty important."

Ashido ruffled her hair. "I know, I know, but…"

"What?"

"I just wanna keep trying to get you to see how _cool _you are! You've got the moves and the skills to pay the bills, and I won't _rest _until you accept that you deserve to be noticed for that!" She struck a confident pose.

"It's fine, really! I… I don't need to be seen as cool. All I've ever wanted or needed to be is a hero who helps people. So I'm perfectly okay with how things have turned out, no praise needed. Besides, Tokoyami did a lot of the heavy lifting, just like-"

"Nishimura?" Ashido guessed.

Akiko nodded, a small smile playing around her lips as she remembered the trust in her Jomei had displayed during the battle. She wasn't about to downplay the power Tokoyami and Dark Shadow provided during their escape from the downpour zone, but so too would she not deny the appreciation she felt towards Jomei and his contributions as well. Tokoyami had faith in her, yes, but it paled in comparison to the absolute trust Jomei displayed on multiple occasions while they were still inside. There was a link there that she and the wielder of Dark Shadow didn't possess, and no shared love of poetry would ever compare to that. All in all, she and her best friend made a formidable team.

Perhaps something more, too, given time.

"Hey, you're blushing!"

"What?!" Akiko exclaimed, and she clamped down on her Quirk's passive display of her emotions, suddenly wanting out of this conversation. "No, I'm just- I'm gonna go look for him, okay?"

Ashido hummed. "Okay... but this isn't over!"

"What isn't over?" a familiar voice behind her said.

"Nothing!" Ashido shouted, and she bolted off.

At the same time, Akiko spun to find Jomei standing behind her, staring after Ashido as she started a new torrent of conversation with someone else.

"Oh hey," Akiko stammered, hoping her blush had faded, "we were just talking about you."

"Really? Cool," he absently said, a nervous look in his eyes. "Uh… is it okay if I talk to you for a second?"

"Of course. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just… I've been thinking," He shuffled.

"And?"

"This… this is harder than I thought it'd be." His lips pursed and he continued before Akiko could respond. "No matter what happens, nothing changes between us, right?"

Their eyes connected and Akiko saw something she'd almost never seen before in his eyes – fear. Genuine fear, more powerful than what she'd seen in his eyes even during their freefall into the downpour zone. What's more, she also saw an earnest look on his face that made him look more completely vulnerable than she'd ever seen him before, or ever thought she _would _see him in the first place.

Her reply came automatically. "Yes, of course, but what is this all about? Are you okay?"

"I am, I promise, but…" He sighed. "Do you remember what happened with Uraraka?"

_'Um…'_

"Yeah, what about it?"

She wondered where he could possibly be going with this. He wouldn't be bringing up the incident they agreed to drop without a reason, but she didn't want to even _consider _that reason. Not now, not when they were only now cooling down from what was their first genuine brush with a life-or-death situation.

"_That's _what made me think. I… I think you're the best friend I've ever had. I've had a lot of friends in my life, you know that, but… none of them meant to me as much as you do. None of them stuck around for as long as you either, sometimes, but… you already knew that too." His hand gripped into a fist as he trailed off. "What happened back there…" He groaned and looked away, seeming to gather some kind of resolve before he met her eyes again. "The point I'm trying to make here is, I was wondering…"

Akiko's eyes widened in hesitant realization.

"Do you think you'd like to… hang out sometime?"

_Was he saying what she thought he was?_

"We hang out all the time," she said slowly, heart hammering.

"No, I mean, hang out as in…" his expression twisted in embarrassment and confusion.

"Like a… date?" she asked.

In an instant, all activity in Akiko's mind went dead and her breathing went shallow. If her brain could've fractured like her Quirk's namesake into a million pieces, she was certain it would have right now.

_How._

How could she have not realized it?

First, Jomei was extra concerned about her hitting her limit. At the time she'd written it off as merely caution spawned from concern over the peril they were in, and yet despite her knowledge of her best friend, the deeper meaning behind the gesture flew under the radar. It should have tipped her off that something was going on in his head, _especially _so soon after Uraraka stumbled across what they might have felt for one another, but she didn't even dare to _consider _the possibility before now. The possibility that he may have felt something for her was one that had crossed her mind, but she had ignored the idea the same day it popped into her head. Why?

Embarrassment at the idea Jomei liked her as more than a friend?

Her overthinking making her write off the prospect of a relationship as fantasy?

Her inability to read people's emotions correctly?

No matter what, her repeated failure at seeing the writing on the wall in the past didn't change what was happening now,in the present. Jomei was asking her out on a date. An honest-to-goodness _date._ She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and glanced away. Did he know how she felt? How could he when she wasn't even sure herself? Looking back up again, she met the earnest shine in his eyes and suddenly felt a tiny surge of happiness bubbling up through the pounding of her heart.

How should she accept?

Could she accept? They had been friends for so long and no matter what they each promised, there was no way they could ever go back to the way things were between them if they decided to try for more and it didn't work. And losing his friendship would destroy her. The small smile that had been creeping to her lips faded.

She knew Jomei's admission must have been hard for him. He'd laid his heart out in front of her, basically admitting and confirming he felt something far more than friendship towards her, but to refute his feelings now felt wrong, somehow, especially when she knew where her own feelings toward him laid. Even still, there were so many questions, so many unknowns that she didn't even know where to start in her response and-

An earlobe jack stealthily jabbed at her, and she was brought back to the real world. Her heart pounded, and she decided not to question how much Kyoka had just overheard.

Instead, she decided to overcome her shock and ask the first thing that came to mind.

"Before I answer…" She tentatively began, "what made you ask now?"

"That's… a long story, but… I think I've felt something for you for a _long time, _now, Akiko. When we were in junior high I wrote it off as a crush, but one day I sat myself down and…" His expression became a note more somber, and his jaw clenched. "After what happened today, I couldn't _not_ say it."

"Why?"

"Because I was scared. You know I've never dated anyone, so I was and _am _still scared of how little I know about dating. We're both aiming to become heroes, so I was worried about if we'd be too busy to really do anything. And most of all, I wasn't… I'm _still _not sure if I'm gonna be enough for you… as stupid as that sounds."

Still further his expression deepened, and his shoulders slouched, and Akiko's heart ached and went out to him. She was tempted to raise a hand to his face, to comfort him in any way she could, but hesitation and nervousness stilled the motion before it could ever begin. Instead, she let her words carry all the comfort she could provide.

For both of them.

"I…" She sheepishly started, and magenta returned to her chest. "I might have considered the idea of you and me being a… a 'thing' before too, Jomei."

"...really?"

She nodded and blushed. His lips quirked in a crooked smile, and some of his confidence clearly returned. He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, and she couldn't help a shy smile at the gesture. "Mhm. I just didn't do anything either because I didn't know _what _to do, if anything, and it wasn't until the thing with Uraraka happened that I realized I really might 'like' you. As in… more than just a friend. It didn't help that I couldn't even tell if you felt anything towards me, too."

"Then I guess that makes me even more dumb for waiting so long, huh…?" Jomei admitted.

"No! This is… on both of us, I think?" Akiko said, and Jomei smiled. "But you never answered… what changed?"

"My mom."

"What?"

Jomei's cheeks reddened somewhat again. "When my mom was helping me out over the weekend, it wasn't all my training and coming up with Flashbang. Before school came back, she kind of figured out I may have really liked you and more-or-less called me out on it. She gave me a bunch of advice, but it all boils down to her telling me to stick my neck out and try to ask you out, whether I was nervous or not. Between that, Uraraka, and the villains' attack putting both of us in _real danger _without any warning… I figured that waiting any longer to ask you when those villains proved they can do things like _that _would be stupid of me.

"So… if you want to try something… that's totally cool." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But if you don't… that's fine too. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with just because I think it's something _I _would like to try doing, and I'd understand if you think I'm not-"

"Ok."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"I… I'd like to try and go on a 'date' with you." She felt nervous, but she wasn't going to pretend that she could say no. Jomei had admitted that he wanted to try something more… whatever that might mean, and she wanted to go ahead and see what 'more' could mean. It was sudden, and her heart still throbbed with countless concerns, but she didn't want to hurt Jomei or herself now by pretending that nothing had changed between them.

A small breeze brushed past both of them, and their hair fluttered softly. For a few moments, silence reigned between them.

"Ok," he said, his expression relaxing into a relieved smile. "Yeah."

Whatever came next was entirely up to them, now.

Even if it'd have to wait.

Akiko heard steps behind her, and she twisted around to see Thirteen coming into view. They emerged from the USJ with the remaining students of Class 1-A in tow and was beginning to corral the rest. Akiko turned back around, and the duo shared a look.

"Um… we'll talk later?" Jomei managed.

"Yeah… of course." Akiko returned.

"Ok everyone, if I may have your attention, please!" Thirteen called out. "I've been given orders from Principal Nezu to bring you all back to U.A. and your homeroom! You've all had a long day and have all been debriefed, so the heroes and police can take care of everything else here! You all did an incredible job, so you can now get your things and go home!"

And just like that, the USJ was left behind them.

* * *

Despite finding the voice to say 'yes' to Jomei's offer, Akiko was still internally _reeling, _and her emotions were about as stable as a nuclear chain reaction. She was going from confusion to shock to excitement and joy before fear and back all over again, all because that now that she'd agreed to go out with Jomei, there was no _way _she could chicken out and she had no idea what to expect next. It certainly didn't help that her crystal core was betraying her tumultuous emotions no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

Not that crossing her arms over her chest would help her when Kyoka was sat right next to her.

"So are you about to explode or do you want to talk about what happened?" Kyoka said.

Akiko sighed. "How much did you hear?"

"Just so you know, I wasn't trying to spy, but I heard enough. Are you two a thing now?" She idly twirled an earphone jack with her finger.

"I don't know.I've never 'done' dating before, with _anyone. _Let alone my best friend…" Akiko lamented. "And Jomei's in the same boat as me, too, which means that neither of us have a clue what we're doing or what this will mean for us. As friends… or anything else."

"Does it have to mean anything?"

"What?"

"You heard me," Kyoka continued. "You know him better than me, so listen… if you guys know each other so well, I don't think that either of you would end up messing things up between you… or something. And if you ask me, Jomei seems a little smarter than Denki when it comes to people, so you have that going for you, at least."

"My gossip senses are _tingling!_"

And just like that, Ashido crashed into the empty seat opposite Akiko and Kyoka in their corner of the bus, an excited, nosy smile splashed across her face.

"Ashido! Do _not _move when the bus is in motion!" Iida reprimanded.

"Pfff! Nothing happened, relax!"

"And I don't think we were ever really told there was a rule against changing seats," Hagakure added.

"Even if that may be so, proper public transportation protocol indicates-"

As Iida began an impromptu lesson concerning the nature of safety on buses and other forms of mass transportation, Ashido gave the girls before her a conspiratorial look.

"So… where do we start?"

"Gossip senses?" Kyoka asked.

"Well, they're more like love senses, but still! It's my _job and duty _to seek out cuteness and talk about it wherever possible! _So!_ Is something happening like I think it's happening…?" she asked giddily.

Akiko fought the urge to blush. "Y-yeah… me and Jomei… we're going to try and, y'know… go on a date."

Ashido let out a girlish gasp and squirmed as she held back a squee of excitement. The activity earned her a wide-eyed glance from Kirishima and Sato, but neither said anything. Eventually, she managed to reel in her reaction.

"So why do you seem worried about it?! Nishimura's cute and nice, so you can't go wrong there, and besides, you two are _already _super cute together! You're destined for even _more_ cuteness!"

"Uraraka said something like that too…"

"Then it's gotta be true!" Ashido claimed.

"But even if it _is,_ that doesn't mean that 'we' will work out as a thing…" Akiko mused. "No matter how much we might want it to be, real life isn't like some romance book…"

"I mean, maybe, but that doesn't mean it's all doomed to fall apart," Kyoka said. "You do a mic check, test some tunes out, and see what happens while you're in the booth. You never know if you're gonna stumble into some tracks you never knew you'd like."

"Maybe…"

"No maybe!" Ashido playfully chided. "Jiro's right, you're gonna be _awesome _on that date!"

Kyoka gave her a deadpan look. "And how many relationships have you been in?"

"None, but that doesn't matter!"

"It really does when we're trying to give advice…"

Their half-hearted debate continued, and Akiko quickly found herself tuning them out.

Neither of them could really understand what she was feeling. She wasn't a fool, so she knew she was going to be awkward and probably nervous when the time came but working herself up like she always did would only make things worse than they may or may not even turn out to be_._ The worst thing she could do on her and Jomei's first date would be her being stressed or anxious beyond belief.

So, on a slightly more positive note, she was settling on cautious optimism, for now.

All she needed was to calm down and stay out of her own head for once and accept the fact that something she only ever dared to _sometimes _think about was becoming an imminent reality. Jomei had feelings for her. Not any of the other girls in Class 1-A that guys at U.A. swooned over, nor anyone else he'd ever met over the years, but _her._ Remembering that fact, and that she'd only learned that after knowing him for so long only warmed her heart just a little bit further to her own little brush of optimism. If she was still learning more about Jomei now, as best friends, who knew what greater insight the future would bring her?

And what's more, maybe Kyoka would be right. Maybe they would work out well as an 'item' of sorts – no harm done to their longtime friendship whatsoever, and perhaps making it even stronger. If nothing else, she knew that Jomei was probably as nervous as she was right about now, perhaps even more so since he was the one that asked her out in the first place. So if he could muster the courage to do that, the least she could do in return was lean a little more towards a hopeful view of what could follow for them.

Even if she could only manage to do so until their date finally arrived, she owed him that much.

* * *

"And… now we're going on a date. And I'm either smart or stupid for asking when I did, _or _even asking to begin with. I'm really not sure at this point," Jomei confessed.

As the bus brought them ever closer to U.A.'s main campus, and the buzz of conversation provided some semblance of privacy to all parties involved, Jomei was bringing Denki up to speed on what had transpired before their departure. Part of explaining everything that had led up to him asking Akiko out was rather cathartic, but another part of it only perpetuated his stress. Then again, that could've been the residual tension of the day speaking, alongside the not inconsiderable amount of utter _disbelief _he still felt that Akiko had accepted his offer in the first place.

All in all, the conversation had been a mixed bag thus far. Even if Denki hadn't said so much as a word the entire time as Jomei himself rambled on endlessly.

"Eh, I think you're fine."

"...that's it?"

Denki gave him a confused look. "Yeah, what else am I supposed to say? Or did I miss something?"

"No, you didn't miss anything, man, it's just…" He deflated. "I'm just confused and not sure what to think right now. Like, what am I supposed to do? I've never been on a date! I don't know what places good spots are to go to, or what I'm supposed to do or say when we get there! It's all one big unknown and it's almost scarier than the villain attack, somehow."

"Just say _stuff,_ man. You're cool, Akiko's cool, so I don't think you guys need to _go _someplace cool to have a cool date. You two _are _the cool, and you bring it with you wherever you go!" Denki encouraged. "And you can count on that."

"Do you function in terms of things being cool, Denki?"

"I mean, it's worked so far," Denki shrugged.

Jomei sat back up. "Okay, sure."

"Listen, man, I'm going to be real – I don't know if you should even be worried. I mean, do you think Akiko is expecting a parade and party balloons or something?" Denki asked.

"No… no, she wouldn't want anything like that, and she wouldn't expect it either… so maybe I really should relax."

_'And take Mom's advice to heart again and not think she needs anything extravagant… from the date or me. Easier said than done, Jomei…'_

Denki smiled. "Bingo! So sit back, relax, and live a little! We were awesome back at the USJ! We're gonna be like, celebrities or something when word gets out!"

He returned a mirthless chuckle. Denki was probably right, there. The media had likely only avoided reporting on the security breach earlier that week on account of his father's collaboration with Synesthesia Auditiva, and now, that story was old news. Every reporter worth their weight in salt would be more than craving their own slice of the proverbial pie concerning an outright attack on one of U.A.'s facilities. The fact that students were present during the affair was the icing on the cake.

Of course, though the public exposure Class 1-A as a whole would be getting was certainly nice, the fame was the _last _thing on Jomei's mind for a change. Maybe the recognition would come to him, it probably would, but right now he wanted and needed to focus on reeling in his subconscious' siege on his psyche with worry for what was to come.

He needed to distract himself. That always helped.

He pulled out his phone, and the bar was in the red, likely from his usage of it on the way to the USJ earlier. Of course, this wasn't exactly an issue on account of the living power outlet sitting across from him.

"Hey, Denki. I want to listen to some music. Give me a charge?"

"Oh, sure," Denki said.

As the boy connected the charger to his mouth, Jomei put in his earbuds. "Not sure if I'll ever get used to this…"

Denki only shrugged, and Jomei found it in himself to smile. Sure, his date with Akiko was still something he had to look out for, but it wasn't even planned yet. Not only that, but he also had Akiko's word that nothing would ever change between them, which undoubtedly helped alleviate _some_ of his concerns, at least for the time being. So with all that in mind, he decided all he had to do was be patient, take his time, and follow his own advice – he may have asked Akiko out, but it wasn't like they couldn't still take things slow. Baby steps, and all that.

As his preferred tracks started to play, the rest of the world faded in tandem.

_'Distraction, start.'_

* * *

In hero society, among those with arbitrarily dubbed 'malicious intent' for others, it was an unwritten rule that a base of operations was a necessity. On account of the metropolitan nature of Japan's cities, this would have appeared to be a relatively simple affair. Unfortunately, it had been all too often that would-be villainous organizations weren't taken down by infighting or hero investigation, but rather, a lacking sense of discretion when it came to finding a potential headquarters for their schemes.

The League of Villains was quite different in this regard.

Unlike the run of the mill hoodlums and gangs that cropped up every now and again in Japan's many cities, the League didn't occupy an inherently seedy part of the sprawl. Instead, their headquarters was sequestered between both reputable and disreputable sections of Yokohama City, plain enough that any heroes passing by would overlook the place as just another part of the urban landscape. The hideout, therefore, was perfectly hidden in plain sight, and even the interior of the place wasn't suspicious in of itself. Once upon a time, it had been a bar belonging to Kurogiri, long before he had become a true villain, and was full of all the activity expected of such a place. Now, it was as barren and dimly lit as any other establishment that had been neglected by its patrons for just long enough for a business to die off.

Nevertheless, it was effective in what it was meant to do, and Kurogiri himself held no qualms about giving his old domain new purpose as a refuge for any ne'er-do-well dealing with himself or his master.

Even if their defeat at the USJ rendered the place a ghost town, once again.

Over the dark wood floors of the bar, a mote of its master's fog blipped into existence. The fog coalesced into a ball and began circling around itself in a delicate dance. In short order, it grew into a considerable size, and two new arrivals filled the empty space of their sanctuary.

Shigaraki fell with a _thud_ face-first onto the ground. Meanwhile, Kurogiri began to recompose himself into a more humanoid form, revealing the respectable suit and tie he wore beneath his Quirk's inscrutable shroud.

"Ow…" Shigaraki mumbled.

His limp body didn't move, but blood began to pool beneath his wounds. Kurogiri would have lamented the added chore of needing to wash the blood from his floors, but his decorum saved him the headache that would follow from interrupting Shigaraki's inevitable outburst. If there was one thing he had learned working with the young man, it was that sometimes he merely needed to let the boy _be._

One would do well to stay on the good side of someone with Shigaraki's Quirk, after all.

"Shot in both arms and legs, all of my goons are gone… even Nomu was beaten! Those kids were so strong, too! Not to mention All Might…" Shigaraki glared up at an empty screen atop the bar. "He wasn't weakened _at all! _You were _wrong _Sensei, so wrong!"

"No, I wasn't. We merely weren't as prepared as we should have been."

The voice that responded was calm and collected, but the knowledge of the man behind that screen sent a chill down Kurogiri's spine.

All for One hadn't lived centuries as a symbol of terror without reason. Even if his battle with All Might had left him on the brink of death so many years ago, he still remained leagues stronger than anything most people alive could comprehend.

Kurogiri had long since done well in choosing to side with him.

As did All for One's doctor.

"I agree, we underestimated them." The doctor's gruff voice followed. "Fortunately, we flew under the guise of that cheap League of Villains name and didn't give them any reason to believe _we _even exist. But what happened to me and your sensei's creation? What happened to our Nomu?"

"Yes, why isn't it with you?" All for One concurred.

Kurogiri steeled himself. "I regret to inform you that during his battle with All Might, he was blown away."

"_What!?_" The doctor shouted.

"It is as I said, All Might managed to overcome all odds in his battle against him. Without the coordinates for him, I was unable to warp him with us back to base. We didn't have time to search for him."

"This is a travesty! After all we did to make him as strong as All Might…"

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped… unfortunately. Tame yourself, doctor, we've more time yet to pursue our goals. Shigaraki?" All for One prompted. "You may have lost one battle, Nomu, and a legion of petty followers, but in the grand scheme, it all means little so long as you're willing to learn. Nomu may have been defeated, but we still have the advantage in initiative, and more importantly, information."

"You're talking about that chick…" Shigaraki said.

"Indeed. Toga Himiko's backdoor operation proceeded just as planned, and before you blame her for All Might's delayed presence at the USJ, you needn't do so. She is one of your most effective and elusive subordinates and blaming her for coincidental setbacks would merely be foolhardy. Nonetheless, the program she installed during 'the press' break-in' should be nigh-on undetectable unless U.A. has a reason to search for it – which, of course, they don't. Even if they perform a clean sweep of their system, we always can attain _other_ resources to gather information on U.A.'s movements."

"Of course, Sensei…"

"Rest assured, Shigaraki, we will be keeping in touch. In the meantime, a question before my next mission for you – what did you learn based upon your failure today? Not Nomu's, nor your underlings' blunders. Merely the loss in of itself."

Shigaraki paused, and silence reigned for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts.

Eventually, he looked back up at the screen. "I realized… no matter how many goons you bring to a fight, you can't count on them to keep the rest of those pests occupied. Let alone take them out…"

"Indeed. Acknowledge the difference between disposable underlings and indispensable allies, and you will do well in your future endeavors. With this realization in mind, I offer you your next mission, Shigaraki – rally the forces of the villainous elite to your side." All for One commanded. "Know that you shall be my face, but so too will you be a symbol of your own. Take all the time you need, and indeed, you _will _taste the death of All Might. Anything you desire, you shall have… all in due time."

The screen flickered, and the light signaling the open channel went dark. Kurogiri was tempted to heave a sigh of relief, but his manners prevented him from doing so. Instead, he simply let the strain birthed by All for One's presence disperse from his shoulders and looked down upon Shigaraki. Even if All for One had 'modified' Shigaraki to be above the commoner in terms of endurance and speed, all that meant little if he didn't get to work providing his master first aid.

But of course, as he was about to fetch medical supplies, an obnoxious sucking of air through a straw caught both men's attention.

There behind them, at the edge of the bar, greedily finishing the remnants of some fruity drink, sat Toga Himiko.

At a glance, she looked pretty, if a bit pale and petite, but her attractive exterior betrayed no hint of the killer within her. Upon further inspection, her yellow eyes possessed pupils more comparable to a cat's vertical slits, and her lips hid sharp fangs beneath their surface. Messy bangs hung on either side of her head, and two equally wild buns contained the rest of her ash blonde hair. Her deceptively sweet smile, her blush, and the simple seifuku she wore underneath her too-large and too-long beige cardigan blended well with a veneer of innocence, and yet still perfectly conveyed the gleefully homicidal nature of the person beneath it all.

The only thing Kurogiri knew for certain was that he _never _wished to be the one on the receiving end of her 'affections.'

A body count of dozens belonging to Toga assured him of that.

"How long…" Shigaraki rolled onto his back. "Have you been there?"

"Long enough." Toga chirped. "So you're being a sour-puss, huh?"

She started kicking her feet against the barstool and took another loud sip of her drink.

"Kurogiri."

He was all too pleased to swipe the glass out of her hand. Even if it meant he was within range of the indignant raspberry that Toga delivered in retaliation.

"Please refrain from disturbing the other guests," Kurogiri said. He started moving around to the other side of the bar, both to rinse the glass and acquire the first aid kit there.

"So you two really are mad about blowing that mission…" Toga hopped to her feet, and her cheerful smile reappeared. "Oh well!"

"Oh well? Our master lies wounded at your feet and you display such little regard for his well-being?"

"Yep! His blood grosses me out," she explained. "Have fun though!"

Without so much as a sound, Toga skipped off who-knows-where, and Kurogiri returned to Shigaraki's side with medical supplies in tow. Nuisance and eccentric though Toga may be at times, All for One was right. She was an effective ally, and one they couldn't afford to lose – even more so now that their numbers had been whittled down so thoroughly.

Kurogiri set to work to stop the bleeding. "Shigaraki… you heard what your sensei said… we must amass a group of the elite before we attempt another attack of any sort. How do you wish to go about doing so?"

"Send Toga out. Heroes are going to have us on their mission boards now… but she can keep an ear to the ground to find quests that look like they'll give us good party members. And…" He grunted as his bandages were tightened. "Give Giran a call. He could be useful too."

"Very well, Shigaraki."

_'Indeed, the winds of change begin to blow again, and I find myself on the very-likely winning side… a most fortuitous alliance. Perhaps All for One will be right after all… perhaps we _will _triumph in the end… no matter our goals.'_

Beneath his obscure exterior, Kurogiri smiled. The thought of the Symbol of Peace's blood being on their hands someday was a pleasing notion, if nothing else.

All they had to do now was be patient.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** And **_**there goes season 1 of WFAF! **_**One helluva ride, and god **_**dang **_**did I enjoy it! It was a good time worldbuilding, characterizing everyone, and finding my footing in writing, but season 2 is where things are **_**really**_** going to start picking up! Maybe not **_**immediately,**_** but groundwork shall continue to be laid, and things **_**will **_**happen that have nothing to do with canon, I assure you all! Now… on with my useless authorial notes!**

**I did indeed attempt to show Akiko and Jomei both being nervous, awkward teenagers in their scene, but hey, I don't think I can be the one to gauge how successful I was on that front – that's up to you to decide! They're both worried about their friendship and being able to 'do' dating, that much is clear, but I assure you all that romance shan't become the sole focus of this fic. It's still an action anime/character drama using canon as a framework, at its core. Anywho, I figured character interactions followed by the villain scene was a nice way to end the season, even if it wasn't as eventful in terms of plot progression that the canon finale was. I just didn't wanna shove this into the end of the last chapter due to pacing concerns.**

**As for the villains' scene itself? Torchbearer is once again inspiration for this and the open-ended nature of her infiltration mission. And if you're worried about Midoriya not being noted by Shigaraki… eh. I have workarounds for this. Ish. Oh, and while I will continue writing WFAF in a quasi-safe-for-newcomers way, I do think that my assuming my readers have watched MHA is a good choice moving forward. I suppose we'll just have to see how I write from here on out, eh?**

**I look forward to continuing this merry adventure alongside you all in season 2, but for now, stay awesome everyone!**


	17. Season 2 - Aftermath

On account of his mind being elsewhere during Class 1-A's trip back to U.A., Jomei only became aware of a few things concerning the League of Villains' attack a little while after arriving back on the main campus.

As it turned out, he wasn't alone in his lack of knowledge on a few subjects.

Although many students had asked about Aizawa's condition the moment the crisis was over, Jomei and others almost forgot about that detail amidst the aftermath. Thirteen, however, was gracious enough to answer the inquiry upon arriving back at the main campus, as only then did they become privy to any information regarding their battered hero. That said, the news wasn't as detailed as some would have liked. Thirteen was able to report that Aizawa was in stable condition, and that he'd live, but that Recovery Girl had yet to be able to fully diagnose the implications his injuries held for his health long-term. On a slightly brighter note, however, the Youthful Heroine _was _able to confirm that All Might was also stable and that his minor injuries would heal completely in short order.

The news was welcome to Jomei, for obvious reasons. Though his mind had been a tumult of worry and nerves for the past few hours, it didn't change the fact he was still worried about his teacher's well-being. Aizawa may not have been out of the dark yet, but he was _alive,_ and that was what mattered the most.

Once that was out of the way, Thirteen sent Class 1-A off to their respective locker rooms to change back into their uniforms and rest before they were dismissed one last time. It was there that Jomei and many others learned, via Midoriya and Mineta, what kind of Quirk the League of Villains' leader possessed. The news that the villains had someone with a Quirk that could, and almost did, disintegrate one of their number was indeed unnerving, but it couldn't be denied that the knowledge being spread now would undoubtedly save lives in the future if Shigaraki ever showed his face again.

With this in mind, the conversation in the locker room continued along the vein of discussing the other lead villains' Quirks, though Midoriya proved the most insightful out of everyone there. Bakugo or Todoroki may have had more to add, but the former secluded himself as far from everyone as possible while the latter seemed content to remain as coldly stoic as ever. Eventually, this conversation too wound to a close, and Class 1-A reconvened in their homeroom, with the same insight the boys had gleaned about Shigaraki's Quirk being disseminated among the girls in short order. Thirteen then entered the classroom a few minutes later, a final round of congratulations was given, and everyone was told they were allowed to head home.

Granted, Jomei wasn't eager to say goodbye to Akiko so soon after everything that had happened, but he did know very well just how much he wanted to rest and recollect himself after such a trying day. He'd gone from cautiously planning to move things forward with Akiko _someday _to that very thing happening so quickly he would've thought he was dreaming if he didn't know any better. As such, even if he wanted to stick by Akiko's side a little longer, just to reassure himself that little bit more that they were both indeed _safe,_ he ended up going home around the same time everyone else did.

Of course, after splitting off from Akiko at their usual crossroads and arriving at the front door, Jomei very quickly realized that his ordeal was far from over. He stared at the handle, his gaze intense enough to burn straight through it as he recognized he _did _still need to eventually tell his mother about what happened between him and Akiko. He knew he had to, that the hardest part was over, and that it was inevitable she'd find out, but the very real threat of his death by embarrassment convinced him to withhold that information, at least for now.

Thus, he found himself hoping that perhaps she'd simply be too distracted by the news of the USJ being attacked to pick up on any indicators of something happening with _him_ in particular. He wrapped his hand around the handle.

But it was his mother. Of course she'd see right through him – but damn if he wasn't going to try and avoid having to explain how right she was and that _he_ _asked Akiko out._

Upon entering the familiar space of his home, he was unsurprised to find her sitting near the living room, thumbing through some files or other. If it wasn't for what had happened just a few hours prior, the familiarity of the sight would've been comforting, but as it stood, the exhaustion of the day he felt clearly wasn't going away anytime soon.

Best to just get on with it, then.

"Mom?"

Ayane's eyes widened, and she snapped her folder shut. When she turned herself around, silence reigned for a few long moments as she simply looked upon her son.

Eventually, she took in a relieved breath and started wheeling herself over. "You know, I knew that you were okay, but it doesn't hurt to see you here safe and sound."

Jomei set down his bag and gave her a hug. "I'm just glad to be home."

She returned the gesture. "And I'm glad you're home too. Tsukauchi told me everything once he was on his way back to the station and realized you were part of 1-A – figured I'd want to know what happened from someone reliable. Not like the press can always be trusted to do the right thing, sometimes."

"He was there? I didn't see him."

Ayane nodded. "Mhm. You probably wouldn't have seen him anyway. He was everywhere, coordinating the police, so don't feel bad. In fact, I think he wanted to speak with you and congratulate you personally, but he has a meeting to prepare for with U.A.'s faculty on Sunday. You understand."

"Yeah…" Jomei trailed off, "But what did he want to congratulate me about? I didn't do anything crazy, I just… survived."

"Exactly. You survived, and he wanted to congratulate you for keeping a level head."

Jomei nodded solemnly, echoes of his promise to never lose control being made less than a week ago playing through his head. The last thing on his mind during the USJ had been keeping control of his Quirk's output beyond merely rationing his gases' reserves, but it clearly didn't diminish the achievement in Tsukauchi's eyes. Not that he could've known what was running through Jomei's head at the time, anyway.

"And I wanted to do the same, actually. From what Tsukauchi told me, the attack was downright… brutal. Students scattered among villains that wanted to kill them, their plan to kill All Might, and Eraserhead's injuries… it sounded like the kind of thing most kids your age would end up panicking in." She gave Jomei an encouraging look. "But you didn't. None of you did, but not everyone in 1-A is my _son._ You kept a good head on your shoulders and you did just fine. You were a hero."

"I'm not sure Aizawa-sensei would agree with that…" Jomei said regretfully.

"From what I understand, you did all you could without running the chance of getting yourself killed," Ayane argued. "That isn't cowardice, that's making the best choice you _could _make in the middle of all that. The fact you, and nobody else threw themselves into certain death at any point is only a credit to the hero course, in my eyes."

Thoughts of his peers popped into his head, and Jomei quickly recognized the truth behind his mother's observation. He had known jumping in to save Aizawa wasn't a wise choice the second Akiko had stopped him, so there was no point in dredging up old wounds. There _was _a point in recalling everything he and his allies had done along the way to protect each other, however.

"Yeah. Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Kyoka and Denki… they were amazing." He said wistfully. "All of them."

"Now you're getting it. But speaking of…"

_'Wait-'_

"How's Akiko doing?"

It took everything in Jomei's power to stop the flinch that would have given away any hint of what had transpired between him and his best friend from happening. Instead, he disguised the reflexive gesture as a surprised blink – one he hoped would be rather unassuming, given the change in topic.

He _really_ hoped she wasn't already onto him right now.

"She's… okay, actually. She didn't get hurt at all, which is kind of a miracle considering all the villains we had to face and how her Quirk works. It's been… a long day."

"I would know a thing or two about those," Ayane quipped. "Which means I also know what you should probably be doing right now."

"Hm?"

"You should be resting. Go upstairs, wash up, and relax – mother's orders. It may be a weekend but you still need your sleep, especially after what you've gone through today. I'll deal with everything else that needs doing tonight."

Jomei nodded in agreement and started moving toward the stairs. Not only did a shower sound downright _heavenly _right about now, but it also gave him an opportunity to escape his mother's watchful eye for just a little longer. Maybe he actually _had _been able to fly under her radar this entire time? There was a first time for everything after all, and today was full of firsts for him.

"Now more than ever…"

He froze as he realized he mumbled the words aloud and cursed his subconscious and his tone for betraying the thoughts he'd been attempting to keep hidden. He would've continued up the stairs and pretended he hadn't said anything if it weren't for him feeling the pressure Ayane's gaze falling on him.

"Oh? Did something else happen?"

And Jomei's heart sank like a stone.

Instantly, it was clear she knew more than she was letting it due to his posture, his tone of voice, or the fact he was genuinely questioning if her Quirk wasn't mind-reading and that he'd merely struck gold getting the one he had he didn't know, but she _knew_ he was hiding something else from her.

And when the matriarch of the Nishimura household knew she was onto something, there wasn't a chance in hell you'd be able to keep anything beneath her notice.

Similar to how there was no escaping the smug look that was on her face right now. Or the blush that was working its way onto his own.

He forced himself to turn around. "Well… maybe just a _little _something…"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Snipe often pondered how fortunate it was that he had the Quirk he did. Homing was an Emitter-type Quirk and may have thus been placed under the most common classification of Quirks, but he always knew growing up that it was a useful one. The ability to let anything he threw or shot home perfectly in on anything he could lay his eyes on wasn't anything to sneeze at, and even as a boy he knew exactly the kind of hero he'd be if he chose to become one.

Despite this, however, he never thought of himself as extraordinary. Not starting out, anyway. He knew he possessed the tools and talents to hone his unique ability, and that he'd always end up making a difference wherever he went, but he never thought in all his years that he'd end up in a place of prestige in society – in America or abroad.

Which made it all the more surprising when he found himself associated so closely with U.A., in the present.

The academy was his alma mater, sure, but being a foreigner moving to Japan simply to get his hero license at one of the best schools in the world just made him assume he'd never fit in or be accepted as one of the country's own. Xenophobia and mild discrimination against foreigners had become practically unheard of in polite society over the years, but even still, the echoes of that time in history could indeed still be felt on occasion through harsh glares and insults spoken underbreath by passers-by. As a result, despite the generally welcoming environment and the downright rarity of the odd looks he received as he adjusted to speaking Japanese, he feared he'd never belong. Forever a gaijin.

Yet still, over time and many missions as he was still finding his footing as a Pro Hero, he became accepted as Japanese in everything but his name and origin. The Snipe many knew today, the insightful cowboy who could always turn the tide of battle with one well-placed shot was born.

Heartwarming though it may have been, he still didn't yet see himself as special, however.

That honor went to something else. Something that managed to, by sheer chance, strike a chord and make him recognize that he may very well have been just a cut above the rest.

It all started when he returned home.

He was only in his early twenties when he did for the first time, and he'd only been away for a few years after deciding to attend U.A., and yet somehow his hometown back in the states felt more foreign to him than Japan when he'd first arrived. The streets were the same, but they were more filthy with crime and vigilantism than anywhere he'd ever seen back in Japan, and that wasn't the worst of it. Pro Heroes existed to quell the chaos, sure, but with a nation of such size as the U.S., the few truly outstanding heroes were spread far too thin to keep everything neat and orderly. None of this was even mentioning the cash-grabbing celebrity culture that'd infected America's hero society upon its inception. Even subdued by time and the necessity of taking growing threats seriously, it still existed, and it clawed away at the ideals Snipe possessed long before he even left for U.A.

Once all this became apparent, he didn't hesitate to offer his services to the police for the short time he'd be back in town. A particularly pesky gang going by the name of 'The Pantheon' had been a terror to the people and a thorn in the police's side for years after he left, and even if he could only stay so long, he dedicated himself to dismantling the group in short order. He knew that he simply _had _to make a difference to still be worthy of calling himself a hero.

And a difference he did make – not just in the obvious ways, either. Yes, he had destroyed the gang alongside one highly-skilled task force after weeks of investigation and planning, but he had also done something he could've never seen coming.

He made a friend. Not one his age, in fact, the vigilante girl he met in the middle of it all was seven years his junior; but, despite this, she possessed grit, gumption, and a headstrong nature that instantly distinguished her as someone with greater willpower than anyone around her ever did. Snipe knew that he couldn't let her potential go to waste rotting in a jail cell just for being a vigilante, and he offered her amnesty.

An ocean, attendance at U.A., and several years later, and she was still someone Snipe found himself ever-intrigued by, even if they didn't keep in touch as much as they used to.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and the empty halls leading to U.A.'s staff meeting room echoed even in response to a noise so small.

"Speak of the devil…"

He brushed aside his long, high-collared red cloak and whipped out the device. Beneath his gas mask, he smiled. It may not have been some idle greeting asking how he was doing, but any message from an old friend was a welcome one in his book.

_Hey Snipe. Got your message about the meeting Sunday, but I've been a bit too busy to respond up until now – you know how it is. Figured I'd wish you luck before it all goes down, and recommend a little something for you to bring to the table, if it isn't doesn't come up in conversation. From what you've told me about the USJ attack, U.A.'s security is in need of a complete overhaul. You should bring that up when you get the chance if the idea hasn't occurred to Nezu or anyone else yet. If all it took was _one _signal-nullifying Quirk user to compromise the USJ's alarm system, I think it goes without saying that leaving the facility as-is would just be asking for trouble at this point. Hell, I'd even go so far as to overhaul the U.A.'s entire damn campus so no part can be cut off whatsoever, but that's up to you and your budget, I suppose._

_And yes, I did get your message about if I'd like to teach at U.A. or not. I considered it, Snipe, I did, but I don't want to take you up on it yet. I don't want that kind of publicity right now, and you of all people would understand my reasoning. And no, I am _not _like Eraserhead when I say that – _he _was kicking and screaming before he finally caved in to start teaching. Me? Not so much. I just don't think it's the right time for me to take up doing something like that._

_Speaking of Aizawa, keep me in the loop as much as possible, yeah? At least so far as Aizawa's condition goes. I've worked with the guy a few times before he started teaching and he seems like a good person, even if he's a bit stiff. In the meantime, I'll gather the rest of what's discussed about the League of Villains on the Hero Network, so no need to worry about giving me the run-down. You have enough to do as it is._

_Anyway, until next time, best of luck out there. Stay alive._

"And here I thought you forgot about me…" Snipe chuckled.

He stared at the message and gave it another once-over before he checked the time. The meeting was about to start, and his spurred boots jingled gently as he continued down the hall, but not before he quickly typed a response to his old companion telling her what was about to happen. He may not have been able to give her as comprehensive a message in return as he would've liked, but she wouldn't mind. She said it herself – he was a busy man these days. He did make a mental note to keep her informed about Aizawa when this was all said and done, however.

As he put away his phone, he came up to the door of the meeting room. He was about to wrap his hand around the handle when another person's presence made itself known. His instincts informed him that he wasn't in any danger, though, so his hand stayed away from his pistol.

"I never pegged you as the type to be fashionably late, Snipe."

He turned around. "Tsukauchi. I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told ya I was just keepin' a friend in the loop, would ya?"

Tsukauchi chuckled. "Completely understandable. I did the same myself after the USJ incident was being wrapped up the other day. Nonetheless, I look forward to this meeting. If nothing else, I anticipate it'll be enlightening for all of us."

"Don't gotta tell me twice."

As he opened the door, Tsukauchi gave him a nod in thanks and entered without delay. Stepping into the room himself, Snipe gave a habitual look over every Pro Hero in attendance of the senior staff meeting. Vlad King, buff as ever and clad in his typical red, black, and white spandex costume sat alone on the right side of the U-shaped table, and his spiked-up white hair and red eyes exuded as much intensity as ever. At the head of the table sat Midnight, who was only alone for as long as it took Snipe to take his seat next to her. On the left side of the table was none other than, of course, Principal Nezu, and one other oddity of a hero.

That oddity, of course, being All Might, who could be referred to as such less due to his mere presence, but more because of the form he took in his attendance. His 'skinny form' as he had dubbed it preserved his energy, sure, but it didn't stop the Symbol of Peace from looking like he was one good gust of wind away from caving in on himself from some angles. Hollow cheeks, sunken eyes, a lanky neck, and an almost skeletal body didn't exactly scream 'number one hero' insofar as the public knew him, after all. Despite this, though, Snipe didn't pay him much mind. He had other things to prioritize right now, and he was getting more used to All Might's skinny form as time went on, anyway.

Tsukauchi, being the one delivering the anticipated report, remained standing. After Snipe had situated himself, he adjusted the papers in his hands and cleared his throat, tucking his fedora beneath his arm as he did so.

"I see that everyone in attendance is here, and I know we all have places to be and things to do, so I'll begin without delay," he started. "Our top investigators are trying to learn as much as they can about this so-called 'League of Villains.' We've been able to make some progress, with the most distinct fact we've gleaned from interrogating some of the criminals captured after the attack being that their plan to kill All Might had been in the making since early spring of this year. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to turn up any information about who this Shigaraki fellow is. We ran by searches of individuals in their early twenties who have a registered disintegration Quirk but came up with nothing – the same goes for the warp Quirk villain, Kurogiri. Thus, we've been led to believe that either they aren't citizens or they're using aliases. Difficult to find no matter how you spin it."

Vlad King bowed his head, his long lower canines pointing high through his frown. "So what you're really saying is we don't know anything."

"Seems like it," Snipe added. "Still, we have to home in on them no matter what. I may have shot that Shigaraki fella in the arms and legs, but those aren't fatal wounds if he gets treatment. He's gonna heal, and he's going to try something like this again once he does."

"He certainly seems like the type…" All Might muttered.

"Is something on your mind, All Might?" Nezu asked.

"Yeah, actually." All Might's brow furrowed. "The attack on the USJ was… too up-front. No sane adult would ever attempt an attack so reckless right on the front doorstep of a hero academy, let alone U.A. The ringleader was always monologuing about why he was there, and he kept bragging about Nomu's Quirks, but he never said anything about his _own _powers. The only reason I knew anything about his Quirk was because of Eraserhead's warning, and the moment things started to go sideways, it looked like he was about to throw a fit."

"Braggin' about his personal monster… hell of a way to draw you into a fight, even if it sounds like Aizawa's condition was what _really _set you off back there," Snipe observed. "Besides, revealing the thing's Quirks was a terrible oversight on Shigaraki's part. If he kept them secret you would've had to gamble and he may have actually stood a chance, but instead he gave you all the info you needed to beat him."

Tsukauchi nodded in agreement.

All Might did the same. "Right. Shigaraki made wild, immature claims, but he did so with a completely straight face. He talked about Nomu as if he were some sort of pet, and he seemed to think everything would always go his way just by showing up, like he was never told no. A real spoiled brat of a personality. A man-child."

"A man-child with incredible power, though!" Vlad King interjected.

Midnight laced her fingers together as she leaned on the table. "It's possible that he never got the Quirk counseling most children get in elementary school. If he never learned how to use or control his Quirk responsibly, who knows what that could have done to him while he was growing up?"

Snipe looked at her. "That may be so, but it doesn't change what he did."

"Right. He threatened the lives of our students, and there's no excuse for such an attack no matter what his past might be. But…" All Might's eyes widened and he suddenly looked to the detective. "What about Aizawa? How's his condition? I've been bogged down in reports and paperwork, I haven't had a chance to check up on him."

"Oh. Eraserhead?" Tsukauchi thumbed through his files. "Here we are. I think you'll be relieved to know that he's quite stable, as of right now. His arms were shattered and he did suffer some facial fracturing during the attack, though Recovery Girl reported that, thankfully, there isn't any brain damage. However, despite her best efforts, she was unable to heal his orbital floor. Upon first admitting him to the hospital there was no telling what that would mean for his eyesight, but he's since regained consciousness."

"And?"

His shoulders slouched somewhat. "His eyesight seems to be intact and he's bound to make a full recovery, but his use of his Quirk is somewhat impaired now. The destruction of his orbital floor, being one of the key components of what makes up what's scientifically referred to as his Quirk factor, has forced him to blink even more often than before. Needless to say, it's an impairment of his fighting ability, but the only way to tell how severe it'll be is to see how he fares in combat when he's put back on active duty. As of right now, he _should _be on bed rest, but I haven't been in contact with Recovery Girl or the hospital to confirm this recently."

"Okay, good." All Might breathed a sigh of relief. "Aizawa's a tough guy, I'm sure he won't let this injury get the best of him. Even if I should have gotten there sooner…"

"All Might?" Nezu interrupted.

"Right! Sorry, Tsukauchi, please continue."

"It's not a problem. Regardless of our lack of information on the League's leaders, though, all the other villains at the scene of the crime were apprehended without much of an issue. There were close to one hundred villains at the scene, but they were all back-alley thugs or individuals with assault charges in their pasts. Not high-end criminals. What concerns me, however, is that Shigaraki got them all to follow him and his plan. They believed he was a real leader. With so many heroes in society today they may be feeling the pressure, and are thus being compelled to follow whoever they can without a second thought."

"That does make sense…" Vlad King said.

"I've seen firsthand how organized crime can spiral out of control. It doesn't even take anything more than a few dozen people to cause a ruckus, and the League of Villains was proof. People will flock to a cause as long as they think they're betting on the right horse," Snipe offered.

"Then that begs the question – what can we do to stop them?" Midnight asked.

"A justifiable concern," Tsukauchi agreed, "but don't forget that it's because of you heroes that the police have time to work on this case in the first place. We'll continue to expand our investigation and try to find the perpetrators behind this attack without delay."

"And we thank you for that," Nezu said. "Though it does occur to me that this 'man-child' does indeed have some things in common with our students. Namely, potential. As such, we must make sure that we're at least aware of the possibility that someone may very well be guiding him and nurturing that potential, shaping him into an increasingly dangerous individual as a result."

All Might bristled, his arm drifting to his side. "I don't want to consider what that could mean…"

"Indeed. Furthermore, the police did apprehend a villain that was presumed to have had a hand in the attack in a wooded area nearby the USJ," Tsukauchi continued. "He didn't respond to any outside stimuli, and we later ran DNA tests on the individual in question. The results we got back were, oddly enough, a mix of genetic codes, but the dominant one was merely that of another petty thug."

"You're referring to Nomu…"

"Which means the League of Villains have someone in their ranks that knows what they're doing…" Snipe said.

Midnight's eyes narrowed. "It seems that they already do, though. The fact they have a villain with a warp Quirk on their side in of itself is an indicator of that – abilities such as Kurogiri's are exceedingly rare as it is."

_'Which means our security really does need an upgrade… looks like you were right, old friend.'_

"Then might I propose a full update to our security system?" Snipe asked. "Between this Nomu possibly not necessarily being a one-of-a-kind varmint and Kurogiri even being a factor in the League, we may need to consider an option like that to keep our kids safe."

Nezu nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree. A multi-layered system with automated check-ins at random intervals to assure security would be most beneficial. Of course, we'd also need to install ground lines in the case that system fails or is otherwise compromised and communication is necessary. It may take some convincing to allocate funds to such an extensive project, but I'm sure I'll be able to get some support companies on it right away."

Snipe tipped his hat. "Thank ya kindly."

"No thanks are necessary. The safety of our students is our number one concern, after all. As for everyone here, however, I do advise that we all proceed with caution and remain vigilant. We cannot afford to fail our students again, not with the media's coverage of the incident making many question their safety. Now, if that is all, for the time being, we may be dismissed."

All members in attendance for the meeting gathered their things and left quickly after that, and Snipe, in particular, found himself alone much faster than he'd anticipated. Not that he was complaining. It gave him a chance to breathe, but more importantly, it let him realize something that hadn't quite been brought up during the meeting.

Sure, the talk of the town may have been about the League of Villains, but society and villainy at large didn't stop because some new group just so happened to be making a name for itself after one attack. There would be plenty of villains out there that still didn't align themselves with the League, and if U.A. or the police lost sight of them, who knew what sort of horrors they could unleash onto the world?

Snipe brought his phone back out and began to type.

_You mighta guessed, but the meeting's over. I'll give you the full rundown about Aizawa later, but for now, I need you to do me a favor. Everyone and their mother might be focusing on the League of Villains for what they did at the USJ, but you and I both know they aren't the only bunch of bastards with goals nowadays. Keep an ear to the ground for anything you think could become dangerous. You know what to do from there._

* * *

The weekend came and went, and Akiko was left feeling… well, she was left feeling _physically _okay, at least. Two days to relax let her body wash away the remaining fatigue of the 'USJ incident' as it was now being called, but that didn't mean she was _mentally _fine after all was said and done.

It wasn't like she was entirely distraught either, she was just feeling… off, and the empty grey her crystal core exhibited felt almost poetically fitting when paired with the state of melancholy she found herself in. At least she knew for certain that it had nothing to do with Jomei. They may have been more awkward than either of them could've ever imagined when working out when their date would be, but that wasn't a cause for her melancholy; in fact, the worst thing it did the entire time was give her butterflies in her stomach. Not that she was anywhere close to the right state of mind to process what that meant, at the moment.

No, she was 'off' because of what the aftermath of the USJ incident meant for her,in particular.

She knew that Ayane took the news of what had happened just fine, and that much was to be expected. The woman was stronger than most people Akiko had ever met, and even if physically she was rendered as vulnerable as one could be by her paralysis, she had developed mental fortitude and faith in hero society that was nigh-on unbreakable no matter what happened. As a result, besides some initial instinctual relief at seeing Jomei safe and sound, the Nishimura household as a whole was as strong as ever.

Akiko, of course, somewhat envied this. Jomei's parents were on board with his dream to become a hero from the very start, while her parents were… less so.

She paused and took a deep breath. _'Keep it together, Akiko… you're still here, and that's what counts.'_

"Hey, Akiko!"

She looked up, unsurprised to find her Jomei waving for her to join him in the distance. He looked far less awkward than he had been the previous Friday, and he now once again radiated the same degree of calm liveliness that she'd come to associate with him over the years. It would've been comforting, had it not been for the muddled fog of emotion that hovered over her.

Nevertheless, she steadily appeared at his side, and their journey towards U.A. continued. The ensuing silence escaped her notice, though the lacking companionable flavor of it certainly didn't elude Jomei.

It was as U.A.'s gates came into view that he finally spoke up.

"So… how're you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

Jomei gave her a look but otherwise said nothing for a few moments. Perhaps it was him assuming there was some awkwardness between them, but Akiko wasn't particularly paying close enough attention to tell for sure.

"I know you and I got a few scrapes along the way – mine are pretty much gone. How're yours healing up?"

Akiko didn't answer.

In fact, it wouldn't have been inaccurate to say that she wasn't there at all. Her feet may have carried her forward, but with her head down and her silence deafening, it was as though she had never appeared next to Jomei in the first place. Instead, it was as though a puppet occupied the space she should have been, while the true Akiko was lost somewhere in the nebulous space that was her own mind.

Which, of course, she was.

Where, of course, she entertained all manner of increasingly unnerving hypotheticals, the most important of which pertaining to her own observation mere minutes earlier. She was indeed still here, still at U.A., but...

What if she wasn't?

What if everything _had _been taken away from her such a short time ago?

"Akiko," Jomei called.

She blinked and shook her head before she caught a glimpse of the look on her companion's face. There, earnest concern etched his features, and Akiko averted his gaze when their eyes met. Of course Jomei would pick up on her distress.

"This isn't about the date, isn't it?"

The only response he received was her holding her books closer to her chest.

Jomei looked around silently and checked the time. The sun hadn't quite peeked up over the horizon completely yet, which meant that they still had a little while before classes were set to start.

He then looked back at her. "Come with me."

Silent, Akiko didn't protest as Jomei led her forward. She didn't know how long exactly they were walking, but she did know that they ended up just a small distance to the side of U.A.'s main entrance. Trees densely dotted the area, offering it seclusion and a feel not incomparable to that of a park, but at the moment, neither she nor Jomei were even remotely concerned with that fact.

It was there that they both sat down on a bench in the midst of the natural sanctuary. Jomei wasted no time after they did.

"What's going on, Akiko? Please, tell me," he gently pled. "I know how you keep things bottled up sometimes, and I don't need to see your Quirk changing colors to see that. I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, I'm just… concerned."

"It has to do with the USJ."

Jomei blinked. "Is what happened only sinking in now, or something?"

She shook her head. "No. It isn't as much about what happened there as, well… it has more to do with what happened after."

It didn't take long for him to decipher her concern, from there.

"You mean your parents."

Akiko looked down. "...it isn't fair that you have to keep worrying about me when I know for a fact you have stuff on your mind, too."

"Forget _that, _forget the date – I signed up for worrying about you when we became friends, and that _isn't _a problem. You can tell me what happened. You know that I'll never think less of you no matter what."

She raised her head, and their eyes met.

"And that's a promise," he finished.

"Then… you were right," Akiko finally answered. "It does have to do with my parents… and it all started when I got home after the attack…"

* * *

_After what had been perhaps the single most eventful day in her life thus far, Akiko was almost unusually calm._

Considering the day had gone from a training exercise, to fighting for her life, to being asked out on a date by her best friend before she even had a chance to process any of it, the idea that she could even have her head on straight right now did, understandably, surprise her.

What was more surprising was that she wasn't being overwhelmed by it all now that she _did _have time to reflect. Sure, she still felt the remnants of her adrenaline rush from earlier, but other than that, she was almost entirely at ease – even thoughts concerning her and Jomei's date weren't enough to get in the way of that feeling.

And that was what was unsettling her.

In the absence of her habitual overanalysis' clogging up her thoughts, she was left only with her most astute insights to keep her company. Typically, reclaiming her mindscape as something belonging only to her would've been something of a relief, but as it stood, one of those insights got in the way of that sense of peace.

That insight being one related to her parents.

She knew she couldn't have been more unlike them if she tried. Her given name may have originated from her mother's, but she didn't contain any of the values her parents did, at least insofar as her choice of career was concerned. She found no pleasure in the idea of attending boardroom meetings, dissecting business plans, or discussing what kind of advertisement would bring in more revenue, but that was exactly the kind of thing everyone else in her family seemed to enjoy – give or take some minor details. She was led by emotion and the desire to help others, whereas her family, while not heartless, was far and away removed from what ideals comprised the pillars of the hero society that permeated throughout Japan today.

It was because of this reason that, as she passed through the gate leading to her home, that she knew what would come next wouldn't be pleasant. The divide between her heroic ideals and her family's, even if Takai had promised to support her, would only be exacerbated in the aftermath of the USJ incident, and she knew it. There was no running from it, either.

So no matter how much her present clarity of mind told her it was a bad idea, without delay, she once more set foot within her home.

It was there that none other than Katashi and Aki Takara were both present, and both, as expected, sitting down in the living room as they awaited their daughter's return. Takai, meanwhile, was sitting quietly at the kitchen island nearby, and his expression appeared to be somewhere between angry and concerned as he subtly alternated looking between her and their parents. Unfortunately, the elder Takaras' emotions were almost inscrutable beneath their neutral, businesslike expressions.

Almost.

Akiko resigned herself to the situation. She knew this was what was awaiting her when she got home, so there was no point in trying to pretend what was coming next could be avoided.

Even if the prospect terrified her.

"Hey, Mom… Dad…"

Katashi sighed calmly and began to stand, leaving Akiko to wonder if her entrance was as unnoticed by her parents as she thought it'd been. The idea didn't alleviate the growing unease that grew in her stomach, that's for sure.

"Akiko." He said firmly. "I want you to explain to me, simply, what exactly happened at the USJ, on what was _supposed _to be a training field trip."

Instantly, she knew the request was carefully worded. It was one born out of concern, of course, but it also hinted at the thinly veiled borderline contempt her parents possessed for her choice of career. No doubt the news' reporting and the school informing them of what went down did little to help her in that regard, since both guaranteed they already knew full well the broad strokes of the attack. However, she still understood the intent behind his words. He wanted to hear what happened from _her,_ from someone who was there to see it all firsthand.

She knew she was treading dangerous waters, but she had to answer. Her father's temper was a dangerous thing, as his Quirk could cause elemental calamities if he were angered enough, and Akiko wasn't foolish enough to test his patience – not that outsmarting her parents was an option either. Even without wearing gemstones to augment her intellect via her Quirk, her mother was more than smart enough to reveal any attempts at deflection Akiko could make for exactly what they were.

So, instead, she did exactly as she was asked.

"Well… it's a long story, but okay."

"Please, do go on. We aren't in any rush." Katashi responded.

Akiko had to stop herself from flinching at the firmness in his voice. "It all started when we arrived at the USJ. At the beginning, everything was going fine. Thirteen was giving us a brief look at the facility and gave us a speech about using our Quirks to save others. To be responsible with them. Then the villains showed up." She averted her father's gaze. "One had a warp Quirk and dropped in dozens of villains before either Aizawa-sensei or Thirteen could do anything about it, and that same villain cut us all off before we could escape after Aizawa-sensei ran down to fight them all. Then… then two of my classmates attacked that villain to try and save us, but… all that did was anger the villain into scattering us. They planned to do that anyway, but-"

"I've heard enough."

Akiko looked at him again, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose as he took in a deep breath. The gesture told her that he was trying to withhold his irritation, but at the moment, such an observation was of little comfort.

"So," he began calmly, "do you understand now _why _I don't have any liking for hero work to begin with?"

"But- but danger is just part of being a hero!" Akiko argued, and her heart began to beat faster, her core shifting to a fearful blue.

"Akiko, you aren't a hero _yet,_" Aki interjected. "You're still a hero-_in-training,_ and as such your safety should be the responsibility of U.A., which is obviously not as air-tight and secure as everyone's been led to believe."

"That may be true, but one incident shouldn't make you both think that U.A.'s completely failed! I'm safe, the rest of my class is safe – the worst any of us got were scrapes!"

"And those are injuries you shouldn't have gotten in the first place. The job of Pro Heroes is to stop the innocent from getting injured, correct? They failed in doing so, and merely hand-waving away the fact that you _did _get injured, however slightly, doesn't change that," Aki retorted. "All it takes is one bad day for a trend to be set for a long time to come, Akiko. That's something that doesn't just apply to business, it applies to heroes and villains in society too. You of all people should understand that, given your desire to become a hero in the first place."

She stood and walked over to her daughter. She placed her hands on Akiko's shoulders, and they felt cold despite their warmth. "I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, but I'm trying to point out facts, and that we're concerned for you."

"But you don't have to be…" Akiko whispered. "If anything, the attack proved that we can defend ourselves, even without pros always around to protect us. Maybe not against big villains, but we aren't helpless…"

"That may be so, but your mother's right, you shouldn't have _had _to fight to begin with," Katashi said. "Aki and I have been speaking at length about what happened before you got home."

_'No…'_

"We're considering taking you out of the hero course."

And the world turned to ice, her heart beating hard enough to burst out of her chest as one of her greatest fears came to light. The idea that the attack would convince them to take her out of the hero course was real, of _course _it was, but there was a part of her that never dared to entertain the thought out of the terrifying implications of what that would mean for her. Jomei, Denki and Kyoka, Class 1-A, All Might – all of it would be taken away in an instant if the nightmare ever became a reality.

Which, by the sound of things, was about to be the case.

"N-no! Wait!" she stuttered out suddenly as Aki backed away. "You can't just take away everything I've worked for just because of one incident! Please, understand, this is what I _want _to do! You _know _that this is what I've wanted to do, ever since I was little!"

"I'm well aware of that, Akiko," Katashi responded more firmly, "but I'm no monster, and you don't appear to understand _our _reasoning. Trying to become a hero and help people for whatever reason is one thing, but we aren't going to stand idly by and watch our daughter _die _when every other villain on the street starts getting ideas after what happened today."

"I…" Akiko trailed off. She could have argued further, she knew it, but a part of her also understood where her parents were coming from. Painful though it may have been to admit, they were coming from the same place of concern that she often did when Jomei was threatening to do something reckless. As a result, any arguments she could make that wouldn't be dissected by her mother the moment they were uttered fell flat on their face.

Her core turned grey, and she started massaging her hands. "I understand…"

Takai growled. "Akiko's _right, _though!"

"Takai-" Aki started.

"No, she is!" He interrupted, a fire in his voice never before seen boiling to the surface, his own crystal core flaring red to match. "We all knew when she asked to attend U.A. what hero work included. We all knew that she could get hurt training, or interning, or whatever the hell else goes on during hero training, but you two still let her go! You can't just take that away now."

"Takai, you're treading on _thin ice _here, boy," Katashi warned.

"Like I care? You're walking all over Akiko's dreams like you don't even give a damn!" Takai bit back. "And about 'trends' being set? That's blatantly false – you can't just draw comparisons between business and hero work and pretend that you're right! There's no comparing the two when they're entirely different, and more importantly, do you _really _think that U.A.'s just going to let this same thing happen all over again?"

"Maybe not, but they've given us no reason to think-"

"All Might was willing to _die_ to protect her and her class! _Every _hero there was! You owe it to Akiko to at least give her, give _U.A._ another chance before you decide to take away everything she's worked so hard for."

The barely-withheld rage in Katashi's eyes at that point could've been enough to melt steel, yet Takai stood steadfast glaring into his father's gaze. Takai was no mere follower in any walk of life, everyone in the room knew this. He was determined, independent, and knew full well how to understand any situation he found himself in. It was for this reason he was a great candidate to be groomed to inherit Takara Jewelry, but never before had these traits been turned to the cause of fighting so vehemently against either of his parents.

About anything.

All was quiet for merely a few seconds, but to all parties involved it felt more like its own eternity. Akiko didn't dare to move, Takai refused to yield, and their father was more liable to cause an earthquake if he were to try to do anything more than control himself, at this point.

Which left Aki to break the ice.

"Katashi."

He turned towards his wife at the utterance of his name. An unspoken conversation was held between the two adults in the room, and it was one neither of their children were privy to the meaning of either. No matter what hadn't been said aloud, however, the effect was as apparent as it was immediate.

Katashi's hand turned to a fist. As he exhaled deeply through his nose, the ground underfoot trembled, and the air seemed to grow uncomfortably warm before the unwitting effects of his Quirk diminished with his anger. When his eyes finally opened, the intensity from before there was weaker, more like embers than roaring flames, and his posture quickly followed suit.

"What I said before… was true," Katashi said. "I said we were _considering _taking Akiko out of the hero course. We were going to give U.A. another chance regardless, as we _didn't _intend to pull the rug out from under her today."

Takai cursed under his breath and looked away, suddenly realizing just how impulsive his response turned out to be.

"That said," he looked at Akiko. "If _one more _villain attack like the USJ occurs, if U.A.'s pros manage to jeopardize your safety one more time… you're out. Do you understand why?"

Akiko forced herself to look at him.

His voice softened, but only somewhat. "Because I don't want to see my daughter die while she's still in school. Other parents might be just fine ignoring the fact they're sending their children off to be sent into harm's way, be it by their peers in training or by whatever damn villain that wants to make a name for themselves, but I'm not one of them. Neither of us are one of them. We understand the risks that come with allowing our child to become a hero, and we aren't as willing to pretend we're completely fine with that being the case."

"I know." Akiko nodded. "I _do _understand… but this is something I _know _I have to do."

Finally, her father's burst of indignation cooled, and he let out a sigh that sounded both weary and skeptical at the same time. With nothing more than a nod towards her and a look at his wife, he turned and headed up the stairs leading to the second floor, to the rooms that almost entirely belonged to the elder Takaras.

Aki looked at her daughter then, more exasperated and concerned than angry. "Then please see to it that we don't have a reason _to _take you out of the hero course."

Then, just like that, she too left, following after her husband and leaving Akiko and Takai to their own devices in short order.

Akiko just spent a few dozen seconds standing, breathing and desperately trying to calm herself down after what had perhaps been the most terrifying thing she'd ever gone through – and that was including the villain attack mere hours prior. Fortunately for her, for once, her efforts paid off. She was still shaken and was nowhere near at ease, especially as her parents' ultimatum sank in, but she was calm enough to be aware of her surroundings.

Namely, out of the corner of her eye, Takai as he gestured for her to follow him.

Not long after, they found themselves in the hall leading to their rooms, hidden behind the corner that separated the hallway leading to their rooms from the kitchen. It wasn't much of a hiding place, but it was secluded enough that they'd at least have privacy enough to talk in peace so long as neither of their parents returned.

"Why'd you back me up?"

"What?" Takai asked.

"You know what I said. Just… you were so impulsive and we clearly didn't have the full story, and you looked so _angry _at them the entire time." Akiko shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I did promise to try and support you, didn't I?"

Mismatched eyes widened in realization.

"Mom and Dad might be paying for you to go to U.A., but you worked to get there all on your own. They don't have the right to decide your path for you, so I wasn't about to take them threatening to make everything you've done mean nothing sitting down." He frowned. "Even if that outburst may have been more of the old man in me speaking than I'd like to admit."

"But what if they did something to you for fighting for me?" Akiko worriedly asked.

"What could they do?" Takai questioned. "You and I both know they aren't about to hand over their life's work to anyone that isn't family. They may not have liked me having my own opinions and defending you, but they're grooming me to take over the family business. I'm untouchable. You're not. So, especially now, I need to have your back so you can do what you want with your life."

Words could often fail Akiko. Granted, this was nothing new, but now especially any words she could fathom failed to form on her lips as Takai's implied pledge hit her. Yes, he was essentially untouchable given his position in the family, but to still be willing to risk it all for her just so that she had a shot at doing what _she _dreamed of doing… it made her realize her brother had well and truly intended to make good on his promise to support her at the start of the year.

It didn't make the threat of being pulled from the hero course any less ominous as it hovered over her. Of course it didn't. That fact would haunt her for some time to come as she contemplated the very real likelihood of that storm coming to pass, but just that gesture of support gave her that inkling of hope she needed right now. She'd cling to it like a lifeline, even if it didn't do anything to change her parents' minds.

So, as thanks, even though she knew Takai wasn't much for what came next, she did it anyway.

After a moment's hesitation, her arms wrapped themselves around Takai's back. Her cheek pressed into his chest as her grip tightened like a vice, and even though he tensed, he didn't make any attempts to push her away.

"Thank you," Akiko breathed.

Slowly, Takai returned the embrace. "No need. You would've done the same for me. You may not think it sometimes, Akiko, but you're strong. Even if Mom and Dad don't want to think so, I know you are. You've got this."

A tear rolled down Akiko's cheek. Those words, those few encouraging words that she'd longed to hear from her family for years now, had finally been delivered. Her heart ached as it yearned to hear more, yet her mind told her full well of the truth behind that feeling. Her parents would likely never be the ones she'd hear providing such words of praise. Instead, it had been Takai, and in truth, it would probably continue to be him for as long as she tread the path of becoming the hero she'd always dreamed of being.

_Which meant that it was her duty to make sure that his faith in her wasn't for nothing._

* * *

"And… that's all there is to it."

Akiko's shoulders went slack as her head drooped down. An unseen burden had been lifted from her shoulders upon divulging what events had been plaguing her mind for the past two days, but it didn't change what had happened. Her melancholy remained, and no mere confession of its source was going to fix that.

But of course, that wasn't the only thing that could be done.

Jomei placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Well… Takai was right. I think so, anyway."

She looked at him.

"You are strong. If you weren't, you wouldn't have gotten into U.A. You wouldn't have held your own during our battle trial or at the USJ… you probably wouldn't have come out of your shell even the little bit you have so far this year – let alone, you know, that _other _obvious thing I'm not going to mention. So, don't forget that you don't just have Takai at your back. You have strength all your own." Jomei stood, smiling as he stretched out a hand to help her up. "But hey! Add me to the list of people who won't let your parents take away your chance to help people if you haven't already. I'm always going to support you, Akiko. I know it's been getting old, but it's always gonna be true."

A ghost of a smile found its way onto Akiko's lips, and for once, a little of the gloom within her chest and the crystal core therein finally began to fade. She took Jomei's proffered hand, quickly finding herself wrapped in one of her friend's companionable hugs as she rose to her feet. She didn't keep track of how long it lasted, but she did recognize how much warmer she felt ensconced in the arms of someone who _didn't _avoid hugs like the plague.

"I know… thank you, Jomei."

Eventually, the supportive gesture came to an end, and Akiko rubbed at her eyes as she finally began to compose herself. She and Jomei donned their bags once again, but as her companion turned to head for class before it was too late, he stopped and turned around as he noticed Akiko hadn't moved.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… I just realized something, though. Before, I said it wasn't fair that you had to worry about me. I really do appreciate you saying you'll have my back but… it shouldn't be your responsibility. _I _need to try and fight for myself more often. You… you do more than enough for me all the time."

Jomei gave her an encouraging look. "I understand completely. I know you can do it, too, but don't you ever think that I won't be right there next to you if push comes to shove, alright?"

"Right."

After adjusting her bag's strap one last time, she nodded, and the pair was off. Granted, she did still look somewhat out of sorts after days of worry and emotional tumult, but it was plain to see she would shake herself out of it in due time. For once, at least, fortune smiled upon them, and there was still time yet before they had to return to their life training to become pros. It was during this interim, as she continued to recover, that Akiko realized something – something almost entirely unrelated to her and Jomei's previous discussion.

Perhaps it was because of how supportive he had been to her that she ever grew to feel something more for Jomei in the first place. She was only realizing it now, and Jomei may not have even realized it yet, but it may very well have been the case. It should have sent her heart aflutter, but somehow, the revelation did nothing but simply warm it further.

Even more comforting was her finally recognizing herself that she was indeed strong. Indeed, she'd been hearing that phrase often as of late, but only now, as a sense of normality finally returned to her did it begin to sink in completely. Yes, she was socially shy, and she still needed to make Takai and Jomei's faith in her true, but even if that meant going outside her comfort zone in the future in order to do so… she'd do it. More importantly, she'd be _able _to do it in the first place.

She'd worked hard to get where she was now, and she couldn't let any social withdrawals she possessed pose the risk of making her lose it all. She didn't just owe it to Jomei, or to Takai, she owed it to herself.

So what came next was up to her to decide.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Welp. This chapter turned out longer than I expected to be. Not that I'm complaining! For starters, Jomei's embarrassment (as well as filling in gaps in Class 1-A's finding out about Shiggy's Quirk) was fun to write. It was short and simple, but I dunno, something about explaining away my minor nitpicks in MHA while also giving the non-existent parents of MHA's verse a role to play in the grand scheme of things was just… nice. Words elude me, it would seem. Ironic.**

**But before we go on to Akiko… let's talk Snipe. I originally intended for him to just be a placeholder POV but… considering his role in my plans (**_***evil laugh***_**) I decided to give him a lot more exploration prior to the teacher scene itself. And yes, I am aware of how I changed things around concerning Aizawa's condition, Nomu being captured, yadda yadda, but I feel as though the exposition is still given in such a manner that it doesn't affect the main plot at this point. Regardless, as it may be obvious, some seeds have been planted here for Season Two and beyond that I am just… **_**so **_**happy to have finally been able to use. You have no idea.**

**But what made me happier was Akiko's big scene(s)! I knew early on, thanks to friends, that Akiko needed some spice to keep interesting, so… I have plans, as you may be able to tell. Takai became a sudden favorite character of mine in this chapter, even if he is technically a 'side character,' but god… writing him just came across pretty darn easy, even considering my slow-as-dirt writing pace. Oh, and I figure Katashi and Aki speak for themselves so… interpret them as you may.**

**Overall, this chapter in **_**general **_**was a blast to write on account of how much side characters got to do, and yet **_**still **_**somehow managing to be all useful in regard to plot progression. Man, is this what being quasi-competent feels like? It feels **_**good!**_

**I hope you all feel good too, and stick around for more! Stay awesome!**


	18. Opportunity of a Lifetime

Despite the heartfelt nature of the conversation that had transpired between her and Jomei, and her realizations shortly thereafter, Akiko soon found herself reflecting on what it meant to her that, after the years they'd known each other, Jomei _still _had to deal with her issues rather than devoting even a paltry amount of time to his own – his weekend training with Ayane notwithstanding.

She understood that Jomei didn't see it as an issue, and would always be willing to help; nothing had changed just because he asked her out, but _she _saw it as an issue. She'd said it time and again, but she didn't think it was fair to him that she had to rely on him to be her beacon of hope away from home, even if mutual support was no new staple of their relationship.

Perhaps it was finding friends at U.A., or Takai recently backing her up against her parents, or maybe it was even _being _at U.A. in the first place, but she was finally coming to realize that she _needed _to be stronger. Not just physically, but mentally, so that when the day came that Jomei needed _her,_ she could return the favor and be the rock he'd been for her ever since junior high. She needed to make sure Takai's faith in her wasn't misplaced. He'd pledged his support in defense of her becoming a hero, sure, but that didn't mean she could rely on him to be there for her all the time.

Becoming more independent, at least in mental fortitude, wouldn't just be a boon to her. It'd benefit those around her, taking some of the burdens off their shoulders and letting them live their lives to the fullest, without having to worry about Akiko doing the same.

It wouldn't be easy. The battle to keep herself at U.A. and her training to become a pro merely two weeks into her attendance at the hero academy was evidence enough of that.

But it'd be worth it.

She looked at Jomei and Denki, who were chatting at the latter's desk, and reminded herself that perhaps it wouldn't be too daunting a task regardless. At least she had the faith of her friends and her older brother at her back, and fortitude all her own, so perhaps she could make good on that faith in due time. Even despite whatever stumbling blocks inevitably came her way.

It was a comforting thought if nothing else.

Jomei waved dismissively at Denki as he returned to his desk next to Akiko's at the back of the room. Being completely out of the loop, Akiko looked at him, curious.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing… Denki was just asking for tips on how to embellish his story of what happened at the USJ. Said it was to 'maximize his cool factor' in the future, when people presumably ask him about what happened."

"It'd be pretty hard to do that when the real heroes there were the pros."

"That was kind of my point. That, and I think everyone who'd ever really bother to ask would be whatever fans he'd already have as a pro. They'd do the work and embellish the story for him, even if he told them how he was pushed to his limits. I mean, you only need to look at _any _hero forum online to know that much."

Akiko propped her cheek on her fist. "Right. Doesn't Snipe have some fans that say he once took down three dozen villains with one bullet?"

"Yeah. _His_ story says it actually took a full clip of his pistol to do that, while his fans just exaggerate because they like him so much. Celebrity worship at its finest. Even if you don't sell yourself as one, some people are going to treat you that way once you get a fanbase."

"Looking forward to it?"

Jomei shrugged. "Eh, kinda. Not the rabid hero-worship that leads to people lying about you, though – more the whole 'people just looking up to you' angle, if that makes sense."

Akiko just started to nod when Hagakure skipped merrily into the room. Calling for everyone's attention, she flailed her arms wildly to make her invisible body even louder than her voice could be over the conversations transpiring in their homeroom.

"Hey, guys! Have you all been watching the news the past few days?"

Ojiro casually raised a hand. "I have. It's kind of hard not to lately."

"Right?!" She agreed, and she popped into her chair near him. "It's just _awesome_ that we all got some screen time! Even though I probably didn't get noticed in the background…"

"Probably not," Shoji agreed.

Ojiro jolted. "H-hey! I think what he _meant _to say was that it's just kinda hard to get noticed when you're just a pair of floating gloves."

Hagakure deflated onto her desk. "I guess…"

"I like to think we're pretty big deals, though," Denki said. "The news channels love us! Pretty sure Jomei and I are top-tier though. We did some…" He struck an exaggerated flex atop his desk. "Pretty cool moves back there."

Jomei snorted. "Calm down there, Denki."

"I dunno about anyone being top-tier just because of one brawl, but I gotta agree," Kirishima said. "I think a lotta eyes are on us lately. It's crazy!"

"Probably because one of the two hero classes U.A. recruits _yearly _was attacked," Kyoka interjected. "We're a good story they can sell, not much else, so don't go getting an ego because of some fluke."

"Oh come on, man, let me have this!" Denki whined. "Akiko, you're on my side, right?"

"I… abstain from judgment."

Denki just grumbled in defeat as he melted into his chair.

"Who knows what would've happened if the teachers didn't show up…" Sero mused.

"_Why would you say that!?_" Mineta squealed. "Have you ever heard of tempting fate before!? I'm gonna pee myself just thinking abou-"

"Oh, _shut up _and grow a pair, loser!" Bakugo roared.

Jomei's brows raised at the outburst, but he said nothing. "Yeah, the pro teachers were amazing… but All Might was something else."

"Right?" Sato agreed. "That brain dude was super strong and All Might still beat him!"

Tokoyami bowed his head thoughtfully. "Indeed. His strength is nothing short of the stuff of legends. We would all do well to remember his example moving forward."

Overhead, the clock ticked forward. It was time for class to start.

Iida instantly surged forth to the podium. "_Attention! _Homeroom class is about to begin! Everyone diminish your conversations and take your seats!"

"...uh, class rep? We're already sitting," Kirishima pointed out.

"Yeah, you're the only one standing," Sero said.

Just as quickly, Iida crashed back into his seat, hunching over in what looked like a mix of embarrassment and consternation. "Curse the paradoxes of being class rep…"

"Don't you sweat it!" Uraraka singsonged.

Yaoyorozu snapped her booklet shut. "I wonder who'll be teaching class today… by all reason and logic, Aizawa-sensei should still be in the hospital recovering right about now."

Akiko hummed thoughtfully. "Wait, Jomei?"

"Yeah?"

"You and your mom know a bunch of people on the force, right?"

Jomei blinked in realization, and Yaoyorozu's eyes fell on him. "She's right. My mom works in the force, and she knows Tsukauchi – the guy who debriefed us at the USJ. He hasn't exactly been giving Mom a constant feed of info though. He's got things to do, and so does she."

"Understandable." Yaoyorozu nodded. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see who's filling in the spot for homeroom teacher, then."

As if on cue, the door slammed open, and a familiar black boot-wearing foot lazily lowered itself to the ground after punishing the offensive object for getting in its way. Then, the figure behind the threshold of Class 1-A spoke.

"Morning, class," Aizawa deadpanned.

It was unmistakably him. From the hero outfit to the completely disheveled look of his hair and unenthusiastic tone of voice, it was him. His face was a mess of bandages with holes for breathing and sight, and his arms were bound in tight casts that hung around his torso. He looked like he'd gone through hell, and indeed he _had,_ but there he was.

He sluggishly limped towards the podium like he hadn't needed emergency medical attention a few days ago.

"_Jeez…_" Jomei stressed. "Intense…"

Denki's jaw dropped. "How the…"

Iida's hand shot up. "Aizawa-sensei! I'm glad you're okay!"

"I'm not sure if _that's _exactly okay…" Uraraka said.

"My well-being is irrelevant." Aizawa finally arrived at the podium and stared down his pupils. "What's important is that your fight isn't over yet."

"Our fight?" Akiko whispered.

Jomei and her looked at each other. "He doesn't mean…?"

"More bad guys…?" Mineta shook.

"The U.A. Sports Festival is about to start," Aizawa finished.

And just like that, any potential worry was nipped in the bud.

"_Yesssssssss!_" Kirishima quietly cheered.

Jomei sighed in relief. "Is anyone else getting the feeling Aizawa-sensei enjoys misleading us or-"

"Alright, everyone, let's _kick some ass-!_"

Denki's hand smushed into Kirishima's cheek, silencing his vigor. "Wait a sec, man, something feels weird here."

"For once, Denki's right." Kyoka agreed. "Is it really a good idea to hold the Sports Festival so soon after the USJ attack? We'll all be cooped up in the same spot at the same time, it'd be an easy target for the villains to take advantage of."

"Well, apparently the administration thinks that this is a good way to signify the situation has been handled and U.A. is safer than ever," Aizawa explained. "Plus, security is being beefed up this year with extra pros are being pulled onto the site to keep things safe. Preventative care, and all that. Besides, this is a tremendous opportunity for all students at U.A. – not something to be canceled just because a few villains made a name for themselves."

"Uh, why not? It's just the Sports Festival," Mineta fretted.

Midoriya looked behind him. "Huh? Mineta, don't you know how important this competition is?"

"Of course I do, I just don't want to get _murdered…_"

"As I was saying," Aizawa continued, "the Sports Festival is the most important event of the year in Japan. The Olympics do still exist, yes, but stringent regulations to make sure Quirks don't give an unfair advantage in any event have led to growing disinterest in the games, at least so far as Japan is concerned. Thus, the U.A. Sports Festival is the de facto premier event for anyone with an itch to witness true competition – the kind that _doesn't _bar its participants from using their Quirks to their fullest. Every person in every prefecture in the country is going to be watching."

"That's right. Even Pro Heroes are going to be watching!" Yaoyorozu clenched a fist before her. "This is where you get scouted!"

Jomei smiled. "And make a name for yourself…"

"Yeah, unless you're _dead,_" Mineta whined.

"They're right, though," Akiko mused. "A lot of people after graduating join hero agencies as a sidekick, and it's not unheard of for some to already have fans from how they did at the Sports Festival."

"And being a sidekick's just a hop and a skip away from going independent with your own agency!" Denki pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's also as far as some people go," Kyoka interjected. "They miss their chance to make their own brand after joining up with a big name and end up permanent sidekicks. It seems like your kind of gig, Denki."

"Hey!"

"It's true, interning under a hero agency can provide you greater experience and popularity, and that's why the festival matters," Aizawa said. "If any of you want to go pro one day, this event can open doors for you. One chance a year."

Jomei's face lit up with a familiar determination.

"Three chances in a lifetime."

Kyoka and Denki's expressions hardened.

"No aspiring hero can miss this festival," Aizawa finished.

Akiko nodded.

"That means that none of you can slack off on your training. Understood?"

Class 1-A responded in one voice. "_Yes, sir!_"

"Then class is dismissed. I'm going to go take a nap."

* * *

Finally, the bell rang, and Cementoss' latest lecture on western literature came to a close.

It had been a few hours since Aizawa had revealed the imminence of the Sports Festival, and not a single soul in Class 1-A had yet been free to vent their unbridled excitement of what the event meant for them. Lectures layered themselves one after the other, and although no one was foolish enough not to pay attention, it was clear everyone's minds were more keenly aware of the electricity in the air than their teachers' informative words. In a sense, it was reminiscent of the time everyone spent waiting for All Might to show up to their first class with him, only this time the potential rewards for their patience when the Sports Final itself finally arrived were far greater than their getting to meet the Symbol of Peace.

Akiko was as enthralled as everyone else about the festival, but she was equally interested in the passage Cementoss had been going over when the lunch bell rang. Jomei may have nearly fallen asleep during the lesson, but she was more than eager to pick up the slack and even read ahead.

Besides, it wasn't like she'd be missing out on any conversations around her. She could juggle reading and listening.

"Ok, that villain stuff sucked, sure, but I'm _pumped for these games!_" Kirishima cheered.

Sero leaned his arm on Kirishima's shoulder. "We put on a good show and we're basically on the road to being pros!"

"Yeah, this is why I'm here in the first place!" Sato said.

"We get so few chances…" Tokoyami murmured. "It's exhilarating, I must admit."

Hagakure flailed her arms. "Hey, hey! I'm getting really nervous about the festival! I need to come up with a cheer or something! I have to get myself noticed! Ojiro, any ideas?"

"Uh-"

"Dearie me," Aoyama interrupted. "What's a boy to do? I stand out even when I'm not in my costume! I almost envy you two for being so plain. The curse of being so distinguished…"

"Wait, what'd you say?" Ojiro deadpanned.

At least Koda was there to catch Aoyama before he hit the ground.

Denki sighed peacefully. "You know, Jomei, you're super lucky – your Quirk was _made _for this kind of event!"

"Trust me, I know." Jomei leaned back in his chair. "I hit the freaking jackpot when it comes to my Quirk. If I was missing any element of it or it was just a _little _less flashy or powerful, then I don't know what I'd be doing right about now. Still! I got it, and I'm totally going to do work with it at the Sports Festival."

"None of what you said was incorrect," Yaoyorozu said, "but nevertheless, you still have to balance flair with usefulness. A well-trained user of an unimpressive-looking yet versatile Quirk will often overcome overly flashy fighters who rely on a handful of moves to win all their fights."

"Eh, don't you worry, I've got it covered! You may have seen a lot of what my Quirk could do during the battle trials, but don't count me out yet! I've still got a trick or two up my sleeve, and I'll be more fired up than ever when the festival hits!"

"No doubt Denki's going to make a scene too once he fries himself," Kyoka snickered.

Denki glared at her. "Hey! I didn't short myself out back at the USJ, and we were on the ropes back there! Shut up!"

As Kyoka tried to suppress her clear urge to giggle at her friend's indignation, Tsu had made her way next to Yaoyorozu, though her attention was clearly fixed on someone else. Akiko couldn't quite tell who she was looking at.

"What about you Takara? You've been pretty quiet about all this, ribbit."

Akiko shook her head lightly. She knew it was inevitable she'd be drawn into the conversation, so she wasn't all that surprised. The relative peace and quiet she'd been enjoying within the confines of Cementoss' assigned reading had been pleasant enough, but all things came to an end some way or another.

It also helped distract her from something that was far more imminent.

She bookmarked her page. "Well, I _am _excited, but… I do have a lot on my mind right now. Jomei can vouch for me on that."

He raised a hand. "Vouching."

_'And Ashido isn't listening in to mortify me, so at least there's that.'_

"Well, I certainly can't blame you for feeling that way." Yaoyorozu stood. "U.A. keeps its students busy, and it's up to us to make time for our personal lives in addition to the workload. Our training to become pros presses our time management skills to their limits, to speak nothing of our bodies and minds."

"Still," Akiko continued, and she began putting away her things. "I'm going to do my best. It's going to be crazy, being at the biggest event of the year as one of the people participating, but I have to prove myself. All of us do."

"No arguments there," Kyoka concurred. "Good point."

Akiko stood and donned her bag. She could've sworn she felt Jomei smiling at her, but an interruption grabbed everyone's attention before she could check.

"Alright, everyone...!" Uraraka growled, an unusually fierce expression on her face. "Listen up! When the Sports Festival comes around, I'm going to _do my best!_"

Iida, Midoriya, and Ashido cheered her on.

She punched a fist up and whirled towards Akiko's group. "Did you hear me? _I'm going to do my best!_"

This time… she received a slightly-less steady cheer.

Jomei was into it, at least.

"You sure you're okay though…?" Denki asked. "You look kinda nuts…"

"One more time, for everyone else!" Uraraka roared. "_**I'm going to do my best**__**!**_"

"Yeah…"

"Got it…"

"Seriously, is she okay?"

As Uraraka's moment of unbridled fierceness continued, Akiko stared in confusion, awe, and curiosity all at once. She was normally the most laid-back girl in Class 1-A, but she was also the bluntest – Akiko had witnessed that trait of hers firsthand. Perhaps that was why she was being so absolutely wild right now?

It wasn't the most implausible reading of a person Akiko had ever had. In fact, in this case, Akiko was convinced that she'd hit the nail on the head, that Uraraka's bluntness and open nature led her to be more evidently excited than anyone else in their class. But she also knew Uraraka wasn't the only one amped up for the upcoming festival. Everyone was, and everyone would be at the top of their game for it, as what happened there could very well decide a great deal of what their futures would look like.

Only one question remained – could she match them?

* * *

It was a proposition that poked at the back of Akiko's mind. It wasn't something that caused her unease or concern, but instead, it left her feeling simply unsure if it was a question she could answer, which only lead her to further dissatisfaction with her unawareness.

Physical readiness to go toe-to-toe with her classmates wasn't a concern. She may have been lither than any of the girls in Class 1-A, but she certainly made up for her lack of muscle in the department of power and technique, at least so far as she was aware. She knew how to take care of herself – or more specifically, her body – no matter what was going on in her life, that much was a constant.

Mental readiness was another matter entirely.

She'd promised herself that she'd try to be more emotionally stable so that those closest to her didn't _have _to worry about her so often, and that decision wasn't one she would be taking back. But none of this planning to create her own brand of determination meant that it would necessarily _happen._ She'd do her best, but it wasn't unlikely that she'd still need to use tremendous effort to keep her worryful nature under control. Unfortunately, one slip-up, one moment of weakness would be all it would take to ruin her chances in the Sports Festival, and that was without knowing the exact details of what events would transpire there this year.

Nonetheless, she was aware that she could only wait and see what the Sports Festival would bring. The first step to being a better version of herself would be to try and clamp down on her brain blasting her with worst-case scenarios, after all.

Again, that was easier said than done, but still. Progress had to start somewhere, right?

She grabbed a second tray and, after a brief explanation to Lunch Rush that she was getting Jomei's lunch too, began dishing out his serving. All she needed was a good distraction and the fact she needed to make sure Jomei didn't lose his opportunity to copy her literature notes would be more than enough to keep her occupied for the time being.

Besides, making sure he didn't slack off was always a fun time, and maybe it would even help her not think about whatever else would be happening with them later that day.

That, and the sight of increasingly familiar indigo hair.

Shinso wasn't someone Akiko saw often, this was nothing new. But it wasn't like they were actively avoiding one another either. Sometimes she'd see him at lunch or vice versa, their eyes would meet, Shinso would give his nebulous nod of acknowledgment, and for whatever reason, the pair would thereby ignore each other for the rest of lunch. Whether this was because of their mutual choice or a shared lack of feeling an urgent need to contact one another, Akiko wasn't sure. Denki, Kyoka, and Jomei kept her occupied a lot of the time though, so at least she had some semblance of an excuse.

So far as she was aware, Shinso didn't have that same luxury. Then again, she wasn't aware of a _lot _of things that were potentially going on in Shinso's life, as they'd only spoken a whopping two times to one another. For all she knew, he simply had friends of his own in the mess hall to keep him company.

She somehow doubted it, though.

It was clear that today would be different. Instead of merely nodding when he made eye contact and leaving it at that, this time, he actively moved to meet her at the end of the lunch line, his own tray in hand. As she moved out into the open, Akiko consciously decided not to try and predict his intentions, instead opting to just go with the flow. Shinso was a stoic and hard-to-read person at the best of times.

He arrived next to her and glanced at her trays. "You aren't just deciding to become an animal like everyone else here, right?"

Akiko sighed. "No, I'm kind of just getting food for a friend – he was half-asleep during literature today and I'm making sure he doesn't have an excuse for falling behind."

"Must be one hell of a hard worker, then, to be falling asleep in class," Shinso said, impassive. "I'm afraid I can't relate."

Looking Shinso in his tired eyes, Akiko couldn't tell if that was supposed to be a joke or not.

"Anyway… the Sports Festival is coming up."

"Right…?" She wondered where he was going with that.

"You know how the festival's set up?"

_'Does he not know?'_

"Yeah, I do," she started. "Every year classes are divided into groups depending on their years, with each year getting their own day dedicated to the events so that there aren't any unfair advantages in terms of experience. Year groups are then split up further into sub-groups – the support, hero, business, and general studies departments all end up fighting each other in the preliminary trials. Whoever makes it past the initial games faces off in the finals. It's sort of like a multi-stage tournament."

"That's how I'm getting in."

"What?"

"Takara, the Sports Festival has the eyes of anyone who's worth anything on it." Shinso's tone was firm. "The hero course always takes the spotlight because their Quirks are the most well-explored, and they get to practice with them more than anyone, but that doesn't mean the other courses don't have their uses for the festival as well."

"I… never thought of that. I've watched the Sports Festival every year, but I've never realized…"

"That's because the only thing people care about nowadays is heroes, and the festival is where a lot of them make a name for themselves before they even become sidekicks. The hero course would get the spotlight even if none of them made it to the finals – you guys are always the ones with the flashy Quirks. Every other course still needs the Sports Festival, too, though. The support course uses it like an expo to show off whatever gadgets they can come up with, and the business course uses it as a practice trade show. To both of them, the festival is a chance to get noticed by companies and agencies for their talents."

"Which leaves the general education course…"

Shinso nodded. "Which almost no one wants to be in, to begin with. I think that it goes without saying what a lot of us are going to try and do during the Sports Festival. The spotlight may always land on the hero course, but that doesn't mean the rest of us can't try."

Akiko bit her lip lightly. "I know this is about to sound stupid, but why are you telling me this stuff?"

"Because I'm warning you for your sake. People may not be gunning for you in particular, Takara, but everyone else at U.A. is going to have their eyes on the hero course, and 1-A – especially after the USJ incident," Shinso elaborated. "Good job on not getting yourself killed there, by the way."

She barely processed the compliment. Perhaps it was because she had saved him, or because she seemed to be the only person he bothered to talk to, so far as she was aware, but it didn't matter. Everything Shinso had just told her was true, and it didn't seem like he had anything to gain by misleading her after telling her so much, but still…

"This doesn't explain what your _exact _plan to get yourself transferred is, though."

"That I'll explain later," Shinso deflected. "No offense, but I'm not someone who likes to repeat himself over and over because I enjoy the sound of my voice. I'm planning to make exactly what my intentions are known to 1-A by the end of the day. Unless you have somewhere to be, you'll learn the details there. I'll see you around, Takara."

Just as suddenly as he had come back into Akiko's life, he was gone. They rounded a corner, Shinso stepped into another moving line of students and disappeared into the crowd with little more than a look that indicated his unspoken goodbye. For a few moments, Akiko stood frozen in place, just processing his sudden departure and the information he'd given her.

Yes, he'd made her aware that the hero course had a target painted on their backs. Yes, he'd expressed some iota of hidden humanity in congratulating her for her surviving the USJ. Indeed, he'd even gone so far as to give her a hint as to his grand scheme to get into the hero course, and yet despite all the insights Shinso had given her into what was going on with him, she was left with even more questions than before.

What, deep down, made him the way he is?

What exactly had him so confident about his plan?

And why did she, despite not knowing the first thing about it, believe in it?

* * *

General confusion aside, lunch proceeded without incident from that point. Akiko didn't run into anyone who felt the need to blow her mind or, in what would've been Ashido's case, drag her to a 'girls-only' conversation, and she arrived at her social circle's table with plenty of time to spare. Of course, Jomei picked up on her sense of bewilderment in short order, as did Denki and Kyoka. She may not be the sparkling conversationalist of their group, but she typically did more than thoughtfully stare at her vegetables on a normal day at lunch.

Fortunately, none of her off-centeredness seemed to cause them any unwarranted concern. After informing Denki and Kyoka of her 'history' with Shinso and what he'd recently told her, her truthful admittance that she was simply confused as to his plans to get into the hero course quickly led her friends to lay off. She was able to get Jomei back on track in terms of copying her literature notes before lunch ended, the quartet enjoyed some socializing, and things genuinely started to feel _normal. _Or as close to normal as life could be for them, given all that had happened in the past two weeks.

That relative peace didn't last, though.

At the end of the school day, as soon as Uraraka opened the door to leave, there was a veritable _swarm _of people crowding the hall outside Class 1-A's homeroom.

It was at that moment that Akiko was surprised… to find out she wasn't surprised.

_'Shinso wasn't kidding about everyone having their eyes on the hero course…'_

"Um… what the heck are you all doing here!?" Uraraka incredulously asked.

Iida stepped up beside her. "Do you have some kind of business with our class?"

Mineta was next. "Why're you all blocking our doorway? I won't let you hold us hostage!"

"They're scouting out the competition, idiots." Bakugo started walking towards the gathered students. "We're the ones who survived a real villain attack. They want to see us with their own eyes."

"I suppose such a thing is possible…" Iida pondered.

Bakugo glared at the crowd. "At least now you all know what a future pro looks like. So if you're done staring, you can get the hell out of my way, extras."

"Language, Bakugo!" Iida reprimanded. "You can't just go around calling people extras because you don't know who they are!"

"Seemed pretty tame compared to how he was before…" Jomei mumbled.

_'If this is the other courses scouting us out, where's…?'_

"So this is Class 1-A?" Shinso started. As he began making his way through the crowd to meet Bakugo face-to-face, he continued. "I heard you guys were impressive, but you just seem like an ass. Real hero material. Are most people in your class this delusional or is it just you?"

Akiko counted herself lucky to be at the back of the room right now.

Shinso was walking on _very _thin ice saying such things to the living bomb of Class 1-A.

At least she was outside Bakugo's potential blast radius.

"How sad to come here and find a bunch of egomaniacs." Shinso stopped before Bakugo, displaying not a care in the world as to who he was talking to. "I wanted to be in the hero course, you know. But like a lot of people here I had to choose a different track. Such is life."

Bakugo's gaze hardened.

"I didn't cut it on my own, but now I have another chance. U.A. hasn't decided to fill any vacant spots in the hero course yet, it's true, but that doesn't mean exceptions can't be made. And if they don't, and they still want to throw in a student who's worth a damn into the hero course…? Well, they can always move people out to make room."

Akiko's eyes widened. Kyoka, Denki, and Jomei all spared their own looks at her in turn.

Shinso had just laid some of his cards on the table. All the buildup and mystery behind his plan and he just went ahead and revealed it all in the most public way someone in high school could without making too big a scene. Yes, he had implied that the publicity of the Sports Festival was vital to his plan, and made no secret of his desire to work his way into the hero course, but to declare his intent so bluntly, and in front of _Bakugo _no less…

Akiko didn't know what Shinso's Quirk was. She got the feeling that until the festival itself started, she wouldn't even have a chance to know what it was… but she did know a few things about Shinso. He was confident in what he was doing, and she found no surprise in the fact she _believed _in his determination. Whatever flashiness his unknown Quirk lacked, she knew that he very well _could _get himself into the hero course, as he had more than enough willpower to do so. All he needed now was a little luck on his side.

Or, looking at the utterly lackadaisical look on his face, perhaps he didn't.

Maybe he'd be the one in control of his future from now on, with the Sports Festival being the forge in which he found the tools to do so. It'd be his trial by fire, and maybe even his ultimate triumph of a debut. The parallels between what the festival meant for him and her both didn't escape Akiko.

"And as for scouting out the competition…? Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you all know that if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right out from under you," Shinso affirmed. "Consider this a declaration of war."

"Where the heck did this guy come from!?" Sero whispered.

"He certainly exudes confidence," Shoji concurred.

"He's super intense, ribbit."

"Akiko!" Denki whispered. "You made this guy seem freaking _tame _from what you told us! He's crazy intimidating! What's his deal?"

Akiko couldn't find it in her to respond. Instead, she focused her attention on the eerily silent staredown that was taking place between Bakugo and Shinso. Neither of them so much as moved a muscle, and even the crowd behind them was entranced by the pressure of such strong demeanors meeting. Eventually, it wound to a close, though.

"No response? Oh well, and here I was hoping the hero course had some courage. I'm done here."

The last thing Shinso did before leaving sent a message towards Akiko. His tired eyes met her mismatched ones, and for once, the message was as clear as day, as if the words had been spoken aloud.

_"There you have it, Takara. I'll see you around."_

A few steps later, and he was gone, leaving Bakugo as still and silent as he had been during the entirety of his 'declaration of war.' Knowing Bakugo's temper, his lack of a reaction was borderline unsettling.

"Did he just _break _Bakugo...?" Akiko wondered.

"Or was that him just putting up with Shinso to avoid making a scene?" Jomei continued. "But then… how does a guy go from calling everybody 'extras' to not even making a comment back that whole time?"

The pair looked at one another. Just another mystery to add to the list.

"Hey, you!"

Kyoka sighed. "What now…?"

Taking advantage of the vacuum of attention Shinso had left behind was another student, his dry voice and his head both worming his way through the crowd. His hair was a grey mess that fell to just above his shoulders, peculiarly still despite his swift movements, and his eyelashes were lined with a thick, jagged substance of a similar color – presumably a byproduct of his Quirk. It didn't go past Akiko that he somewhat reminded her of Kirishima – he even had a similar set of sharpened teeth.

"I'm from Class 1-B right next door to you! I heard you fought some villains and I wanted to see if that was true! But you're just a bunch of brats that think you're better than us, huh!? Talk all you want, it'll just make it even more embarrassing when you're all wiped out!"

As the newcomer's tirade finally paused, Bakugo then did something that shocked everyone. He started walking away, not looking even _remotely _interested in the second person to assail him and Class 1-A both.

"Uh, hey, Bakugo! Where are you going? You're the reason they're all hating on us!" Kirishima called.

Bakugo stopped. "I'm only going to say this once. None of these people matter."

"Huh?"

"The only thing that matters is that I beat them. End of story." He glared at the students blocking him. "Now get out of my way."

To no one's surprise, the crowd obeyed, and Bakugo was gone.

"Hey! _Don't you ignore me!_" The 1-B student yelled.

Kirishima clenched his fist. "Damn… that was such a manly exit…!"

"Oh, you think that was manly, huh!?" The other student shouted, and his eyes snapped towards Kirishima. "Well I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and I'm here to tell you that I-"

Suddenly, a slender, feminine hand shot out from the crowd and landed on Tetsutetsu's chest, cutting him off and causing him to stumble back with a surprising amount of force. Not long after Tetsutetsu started growling and futilely pushing against the hand that now held him at bay, its owner stepped out from among the crowd.

For starters, the girl that had stopped Tetsutetsu appeared to be rather short. She wasn't as short as Kyoka or Tsuyu, but she was barely a centimeter or two taller than Uraraka. She was neither muscular nor lanky and was rather pretty – if a bit plain-looking at a glance. Her hair was a simple deep brown, similar to her eyes, and was tied up in an equally simple ponytail that flowed straight down to just a little above her shoulder blades. Overall, she was relatively harmless-looking, and the only oddity concerning her appearance were the two tight armbands near her wrists. They were black and were almost hidden by her uniform's sleeves, but they looked almost uncomfortably tight.

Yet somehow she looked completely at ease – both with her armbands and holding Tetsutetsu at bay. That latter point alone had earned her most of Class 1-A's attention.

"Sorry, sorry! Forgive Tetsutetsu, he can be a _bit _hard-headed sometimes," she apologized.

"And who might you be?" Iida asked.

Tetsutetsu squirmed against her, but she paid him no mind. "Oh, me? Jean Kumo- _I mean _Kumo Jean! Sorry, still getting used to this whole Japanese introductions thing, but that's beside the point. You can just call me Jean! Or Kumo. Whatever you guys are in the mood to call me." She pushed firmly against Tetutetsu's chest, and his rebellion ceased. "Anyway! As opposed to this guy right here, _I _for one am just here to congratulate you guys on your whole 'heroism' dealie. It's _so _cool that you all came out of that attack at the USJ unscathed!"

Obviously indignant over being ignored, Tetsutetsu huffed, crossed his arms, and glared daggers at Jean – who still casually refused to dignify his behavior with a response. It was then that another boy emerged from the mass of students, sliding in between the two members of 1-B.

His skin tone instantly stood out from among the crowd. Whereas the majority of those present were by and far rather fair in their complexions, the third newcomer had distinctly bronze-colored skin. While this wasn't particularly unusual, given the fact Ashido's skin was outright _pink, _her pigmentation was a byproduct of her Quirk – his skin tone looked to be all-natural. Beyond that, the intrigue continued as one looked up towards his face. He was clearly well-groomed and his uniform's neatness reflected this, and his hair was slicked back in such a way that he wouldn't have looked out of place in some western film set in the industrial era.

Most interesting out of everything were his eyes, though. Both were hazel and mechanical enough in appearance that one didn't need to look closely to detect what looked to be the lines of circuitry therein. Considering the contrast between how formally he carried himself and his age, most quickly fell under the safe assumption that his eyes' appearance was more likely a byproduct of his Quirk, rather than some horrid accident in his past.

"Jean. It's rather rude to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of one's competition by feigning friendliness," he said flatly. "At least the one with the indigo hair was upfront about his intentions."

"Hey! Don't you forget me!"

"Tetsutetsu too," he deadpanned. "Brushing up on your Japanese couldn't hurt either, though. You already have an accent as it is – do try to improve your understanding of the culture."

Jean scoffed. "Pff! How dare _you _assume that my proclamation of admiration for Class 1-A isn't true! And my Japanese is _fine, _thank you very much, Mr. 'perfectly lacks an accent.'" She turned her back on the boy before she suddenly whirled back around to 1-A. "But, right, you guys are still here. My bad! Uh, where was I… oh yeah, admiration and alleged backstabbing. Seriously though, I really didn't mean anything by coming here! I'm just _kind of _a geek for Quirks – but I don't count analyzing people on the side as evil or anything."

It was at that moment that Jean must have detected the collective look of complete bewilderment that painted the faces of those left in Class 1-A. She suddenly stopped speaking and her eyes darted between her unnamed peer and a still-confused Iida.

"Oh, right, right, sorry! Keep on getting ahead of myself. I already introduced myself and forgot about _him…_ well, let me introduce you too…" She struck a 'ta-da' sort of pose and splayed her arms out to present the stoic boy next to her. "_McKennan Thaddeus!_ But I just call him Thad. I think he likes it."

"I have no preference as to what people call me."

Jean nodded. "He likes it."

Iida raised a quizzical brow but otherwise maintained his composure. "Thank you for the introductions. However, as Class 1-A's representative, I must ask why you two seem unfamiliar to both myself and my peers? From everyone's reactions, it appears as though none of us have come across either of you at U.A. since the start of the year."

Jean took in a sharp breath. Her eyes glittered with excitement, and she opened her mouth to respond-

Only for Thad to interrupt as the back of his hand covered her lips.

"Forgive me, but as you may have gathered, Jean would take far too long to explain our origins here at U.A. in a timely fashion," Thad began. "To put it simply, as you may have gathered from my name at large and Jean's given name, we aren't from Japan. We're two foreign exchange students that signed up to participate in 1-B's program. As may be clear by name alone, we both originate from America."

"Classes are supposed to be made up of 24 students," Midoriya piped up, "does that mean there are two more foreign exchange students like you guys in 1-B?"

Jean swatted away her classmate's arm. "Nope! We're the only two people from our school back home that qualified to attend U.A.'s foreign exchange program! It's kinda like we're recommendation students from abroad!"

Thad's arm returned to its clasped position behind his back, and he looked at Iida. "Such an interpretation of our presence here isn't inaccurate, though I would hesitate to inflate our egos by allowing Jean to oversell us. Indeed, we are a cut above the rest of our peers back home, but I wouldn't be so quick to interpret that as meaning we're of the level as Japan's home-grown recommendation students here at U.A."

Iida nodded. "Then I thank you for your humility."

"Leave it to Thad…" Jean mumbled, but her usual pep returned an instant later. "But, anyway! I really _am _looking forward to the Sports Festival! Everyone is, and I think it's just got everyone all riled up – it's awesome! My Dad's from Japan, so hearing about the festival for so long and finally getting to participate in it…"

"_Jean,_" Thad warned.

"Sorry! Going on a tangent again. Look, I wasn't lying when I said I came here to congratulate you guys on fighting real villains, but I also wanted to let you guys know that even though 1-A has experience fighting real villains, Class B's going to give it their all too – you can count on it!" She declared, clenching a fist before her.

"Yeah!" Tetsutetsu agreed, fiercely mirroring her pose.

"Yeah…" Jean did a double-take in her other classmate's direction. "Thad, come on, we're doing a thing here!"

"I would sooner perish."

Without hesitation, Thad began walking in the opposite direction down the hall. Jean didn't wait even a moment before she started storming energetically after him, and Tetsutetsu threw one of his hands up in the visual equivalent of saying 'I'm watching you' towards Kirishima before marching after his peers. Not long after, the crowd of students began to disperse, and 1-A was left to process what exactly had just happened.

* * *

To say that 1-A was taken aback by what looked to be the rest of the first years at U.A. showing up at their homeroom's doorstep would be the understatement of the century. No one in a million years would ever say with a straight face that they didn't expect some attention from their peers after the USJ incident, but Shinso and 1-B's moments in the spotlight were something else.

Akiko thought she handled it all rather well. Granted, she didn't exactly take any major part in what had happened, but neither did she find herself ruminating too deeply on what was said either. Shinso's declaration of war was something she'd quickly gotten over, and his plan to join the hero course was something she could only wait to see unravel. Even the three members of Class 1-B she bore witness to and their combined spirit of competition – or the evident lack thereof, in Thad's case – didn't unsettle Akiko in any way. If anything, it was yet another reminder that U.A. was indeed the top school in Japan, and the fiery determination birthed in its students' psyches with the Sports Festival on the horizon reflected this.

The only thing that Akiko felt truly stumped about was what to make of 1-B's foreign exchange students. They weren't particularly _odd,_ but… she just didn't know how to interpret their behavior. She felt she was getting better at reading people, sure, but each of their personalities felt like they could be interpreted in very drastically different ways.

Fortunately, Jomei was perhaps better equipped than she to process the pair's personalities.

Class 1-A had already mostly vacated their homeroom when Jomei and Akiko began their journey out of the building. Denki and Kyoka would've been with them, but they'd left quickly at the former's behest to 'grab grub' out of school and hang out while she and Jomei waited for things in the halls to settle down a little. When they got outside, Akiko noticed Tetsutetsu was gone, and Jean seemed to _still _be lecturing Thad about 'being a team player when it comes to posing.' Despite Jean's impassioned speech, however, Thad appeared to be hardly paying attention, more-or-less just letting her speak at him while he occupied himself thumbing through a small notebook of his.

The scene only confused Akiko further as to the foreigners' dynamic.

She didn't stop moving alongside Jomei, though. "So Kum- I mean, Jean seems nice, if a little…"

"Airheaded?" Jomei finished.

"I don't know. Maybe… scatterbrained? She can't be airheaded since she made it into the foreign exchange program. Unless she lied about the qualifications for some reason, right?"

Jomei adjusted his backpack. "Yeah… you're probably right on that. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still trying to wrap my head around them too. Trying to process what their dynamic is when they aren't even our classmates is a bit of an ordeal, though."

"First impressions, then?"

"Jean seems like she's friendly, but can be a bit of a chatterbox. Seeing as she's here at U.A. though, she has to have some kind of a good head on her shoulders. Thad seems more like a robot than a person, though – unless he's trying to be super stoic on purpose, in which case he's making Todoroki seem as expressive as _Ashido _by comparison."

Akiko hummed. "Maybe it's just a weird personality trait, then. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've seen at U.A. so far."

"True. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if we're right, for now. It's not like they're going to drop off the face of the map just because we don't share a class with them, you know?"

Akiko nodded, and a lull in their conversation formed as the pair slowly made their way through the emptying halls. This wasn't unusual – neither of them were typically unsettled by silence between them. In fact, seeing as Akiko hadn't even spoken a single word during the first few weeks of their friendship, silence in their case could often be just as comforting as hours of conversation could ever be. It was familiar, often companionable, and harkened back to a time in their lives when things were both infinitely more and less complex than their lives at U.A. were turning out to be.

But this time, there was an elusive element in the silence that made it feel less than comforting. It wasn't painful or stress-inducing on either of their sides of things, but rather… awkward, and for reasons obvious to both parties. With nothing left to discuss concerning the events of the day, Akiko was forced to face the reality that the event they'd been planning on happening since after the USJ incident was rapidly approaching. Akiko understood it was inevitable that it'd be brought up, but that didn't make the ground they were about to cover any less mysterious and new to her.

As usual, Jomei was the first to break the ice.

"So…" He started cautiously, "are you ready for tonight?"

She felt her heartbeat quicken, and a slight blush crossed both her face and crystal core before she reeled it in. "I… I am."

"You know if you don't feel like going tonight, we could wait until after the Sports Festival, or-"

"No," Akiko interrupted. She sighed. "No, I think this is probably just what I need to take my mind off… well, _everything,_ for once. It sounds dumb but… I feel like it's true."

Jomei nodded. "Is it weird that we're talking about our date so bluntly, though?"

"I don't know. My experience with dating only goes as far as romance books, and those aren't exactly… _accurate,_ to real life," Akiko mused, and she looked at him. "Should it be weird?"

"No. Probably not," Jomei guessed. "It'll be like hanging out, only this time it means something more? Maybe? That's the best I've got."

The front gate of U.A. came into view, and they stopped.

"Yeah… so, I'll see you later?" Akiko lamely asked.

"Yeah. I'll… see you soon."

Jomei waved, and Akiko returned the gesture as they parted ways. Sure, they could've gone further and parted at their usual place, but they knew one another well enough to know that, with their date on the horizon, doing so would've made their goodbyes even more awkward than they already turned out to be.

Despite this, though, Akiko forced herself not to become stressed. Instead, she busied herself with thinking about how Jomei was probably right about the nature of their date. Sure, the world of dating could've been some parallel universe for all she knew about it, but neither of them were different people just because they decided to test the waters of their potential romance. Jomei was still himself, Akiko was still herself, and hopefully, both of them would understand that they didn't need to do anything extraordinary come later that evening.

Still… why couldn't real life be like some of the romance novels she'd read? Yes, she knew and had even stated they weren't accurate, but at least _those _were things that she could comprehend as opposed to the real deal.

But did she even want something like that? Did she want to be swept off her feet by some idealized paragon of romance? Or did she want something more tangible, more realistic, and more closely linked to her heart, like Jomei was? Indeed, she'd entertained the fantasy of someone _like _Jomei coming along, but that was just that. A fantasy. A flight of fancy she'd indulge in from time to time, but never really think about becoming a reality.

Well, just a few short hours would need to pass from now and she'd know what her heart _truly _longed for out of a relationship. The very prospect sent her heart aflutter.

She forced herself to calm down, though. She still felt some redness in her cheeks, but she knew that getting inside her own head now would only serve to sabotage what could be one of the most important nights of her, and Jomei's, lives in recent memory. It was going to be new, it was going to be strange, but… she was looking forward to it.

And somehow, that was enough.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Not gonna lie, this was **_**definitely **_**an in-betweener chapter, and I ain't gonna pretend otherwise. Granted, the start of Season Two in MHA proper was also heavy with setup, but then again, it has the benefit of snappy animation and the main plot on its side so… 50/50 shot this setup chapter is equally valid, eh? Regardless, Jomei is indeed not forgotten! He's just… not in the POV right now, but he's gonna get some love soon! I'd try to juggle Akiko and Jomei evenly in terms of POV, but eh… I'd rather not give POV to the wrong character just for the sake of even 'screen-time' so to speak.**

**As for the chapter itself? I'm hype! Shinso's setup, the introduction of two more all-original cast members (that I **_**loved **_**writing, omg), and the completion of the pre-date setup for Jomei and Akiko – all of it was lovely, and all of it is most assuredly coming back around in due time. Though, of course, the last of those listed things is **_**far **_**more imminent than the others. For obvious reasons.**

**I hope you stick around! Next chapter's going to be a **_**big **_**first for me, and though Jean and Thad have quite a while to go before they (and 1-B) get highlighted, I do think you'll enjoy them when they show up from time to time! Stay awesome, possums!**


	19. Youthful Earnestness

The time had finally come.

After years of procrastinating making a move, anxious over whether he even could, and ignoring what he felt for Akiko at large, their date was nearly at hand. Perhaps fittingly, given when and how he'd first proposed the idea to her, he was just a _little _bit nervous.

He checked the time. It was 5:20 in the afternoon; only ten minutes left until Akiko would arrive. Given the fact that neither had a license nor any intention of asking someone to drive them anywhere, family or otherwise, it had been decided that they'd meet at the corner where they'd usually leave each other when walking home from school. Neither of them could get lost headed there, and it was situated at just the right spot that it wouldn't take long for them to get to the site of their date proper. A mundane, but practical meeting spot for their first romantic outing.

It almost felt surreal to Jomei now that it was actually happening. Now that their date was so close, the realization came to him that he was only mere _minutes _away from what could be the start of the most important night his and Akiko's friendship had ever witnessed.

He didn't know if this would be the beginning of some grand new chapter of their lives though, as he had no frame of reference to think if such a belief would be unfounded or not. All he knew was that his heart was pounding in his rib cage, his palms felt slick with nervous sweat, and his feet couldn't take him fast enough to her.

It wasn't just because going back to being 'just friends' after what _could _be one awkward night out would be absolutely painful to him and Akiko both, either. Yes, the damage potentially done to their relationship was a nightmare he'd much rather avoid having to encounter at every turn, but… he did genuinely want to grow even closer to Akiko.

Jomei had long denied himself the chance to think through his feelings again for her for long enough that, once he finally let himself do so after asking her out, it became exceedingly clear Akiko was someone his heart simply yearned for. Those precious moments when her nerves would fade away and her smile would show itself… like when she'd gotten accepted to U.A., or all the times he'd succeeded at making her laugh, or even roll her eyes in half-hearted annoyance while her crystal core betrayed her contentment…

Those moments lit his world up like nothing even his Quirk could do for him.

Was it cheesy? Yes.

Was it true, though? Absolutely.

The simple hope that getting even closer to her would bring about those moments of joy a little more often made anything worth it, to him. Any benefits that befell his person as a result would be secondary, so long as it made her happy.

All he had to do now was hope was that he, as he had often worried so many times before, would continue to be enough for her.

That, and their plan for the night.

_'Stop it, Jomei, the date's going to be enough! _You _are going to be enough. Remember what Mom said. Fairy tale standards? Not necessary, and Akiko won't hold me to something like that. Storybook romances? Love doesn't have to be that way either. Love is…' _He paused. _'Okay, that one's still a work in progress.'_

And indeed it was. Jomei tentatively decided he'd come back to that thought later, when he had a better understanding of what the hell he was doing. Or maybe he'd never get back to it. It's not like he was about to make a date for himself to ruminate about what love was 'supposed' to look like any time soon.

He wondered if Akiko felt as nervous as he did. He knew her better than anyone, but when it came to the matter of their date, he almost wondered if she wasn't just humoring him. Maybe with Shinso's ultimatum, 1-B's sudden introduction to 1-A, and the announcement of the Sports Festival, she didn't want any problems with him to weigh on her mind too. Maybe what she had said indicated what she really felt their date meant to her – just a brief reprieve from her life.

He sincerely hoped it wasn't just that.

Well, either way, he'd simply have to try his best to make this night fun for Akiko. Even if it'd only last a little while, she deserved that much, even more so after what her parents had put her through only a few days before. Jomei couldn't fathom what having to worry about life at home _and_ U.A. could do to someone, and yet Akiko was being subjected to that constant stress. He hoped he could give her an escape.

Jomei decided to give himself a final once-over before it was too late, just to make sure he was ready. Considering the nature of the date ahead being _completely _new ground to him and Akiko and the modifications he'd made to his outfit to make a good first impression, he tentatively believed he wasn't underdressed.

At least, he certainly hoped not.

Granted, wearing sneakers and jeans didn't exactly qualify as impressive date wear, but it wasn't like he didn't put any effort into the rest of his outfit… even if initially it wouldn't have seemed that way. At first, he'd intended to wrap a sweatshirt around his waist just in case it got chilly out, but his mother had shut down that all-too-casual idea for his outfit in a hurry. Although in hindsight that decision was largely for the better, he didn't give in to her when it came to his choice of what shirt, because he was _not _going to go out wearing a polo. Someone like Iida may have been able to pull it off, but wearing a polo just wasn't for him.

Instead, he elected to wear a plain graphic t-shirt with some techno group's logo on the back before layering a rarely-seen denim jacket over it. As far as accessories went, Jomei had his father's necklace handy, but he also made a point to don his watch for practicality's sake. His necklace may have been his trademark, but it wasn't as though he was blind to the charm other accessories could provide him on more formal occasions. All elements combined, and in Jomei's humble opinion, the result was an outfit that was both comfortable and stylish.

Ayane had also given his outfit her vote of confidence in the end, so if nothing else, he at least had that going for him. First impressions were important, but he had technically known Akiko for years now.

His attention flicked down to his watch again. 5:30.

That was when he heard footsteps behind him. Jomei turned, knowing he'd see Akiko, but the sight still left him momentarily stunned.

All things considered, it wasn't a complex outfit. For starters, her long-sleeved shirt, despite it being fashionably long on her, didn't look out of place from how she wore it. The v-neck exposed just enough skin to allow her crystal core to breathe, and the necklace she wore only drew further attention to it thanks to how it framed her Quirk's namesake. It may have had some tan buttons near the hem for no discernable reason other than fashion, but it didn't detract from the look – if anything, it added more character to it and broke up the black of the shirt.

Below the waist, she looked to still be dressed for both fashion and comfort. Form-fitting dark blue jeans accentuated her legs without bordering anywhere close to risque, and the flats that matched her shirt didn't look at all out of place with her wearing them. Add in a nice handbag with a decent-length strap at her side, and it was clear she'd thought about what she was going to wear just as much as Jomei to make sure she was dressed for the occasion. His eyes then met hers, and he couldn't help but smile. She was still the same girl he'd met at this spot hundreds of times before and yet she somehow managed to seem like a new person entirely. His stomach flipped a little when she smiled back.

Despite how relatively modestly she was dressed, she didn't just look good, in Jomei's eyes.

She looked _beautiful._

It was with this realization that Jomei finally found his voice again. "Hey, Akiko. You look… really good."

Akiko bit her lip and looked away for a moment, a little color flushing her cheeks. "...thank you, Jomei. You um… you look good, too."

_'Remember, Jomei, just don't be awkward…'_

"So, just making sure – your parents gave you the night out tonight, right?"

She nodded as she moved towards him. "They did. So long as I don't come home past something crazy like eleven at night, everything should be fine."

"How'd that go, anyway? Asking them about going out?"

"It wasn't… terrible."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. This isn't anything related to hero stuff, and it's not like I was grounded or anything after what happened at the USJ. Still…" Akiko sighed. "I think this might just be my dad trying to avoid having to confront me any more than he has to. At least Mom was a little more involved. She even wished me luck."

"Well, that's good," Jomei said, and he tried to look careless as he spoke next. "But hey, are you looking forward to this?"

Akiko looked up at him. Nervousness was clear in her eyes, but after a moment, it began to dissolve into something else. "I'm still trying to accept that this _is _a date. It just feels so… surreal. Like it isn't even happening even though we're right here."

"Trust me, I'm still trying to get over that too," Jomei admitted. "But I figure there aren't any rules saying how a date is 'supposed' to go, right? So it might sound cheesy, but we should probably just go ahead and do what we want with it."

"I'm guessing your mom gave you that advice, too."

"...yeah."

A ghost of a smile crossed Akiko's face. "She might be right, though. Maybe we should just… act normal and see where things go from there."

"As normal as we can," Jomei agreed. "It really is probably the best way we can go about 'dating,' though, since we don't have any clue what we're doing. Besides, if either of us acted any different just because of a date, it'd probably make things… a lot more painful than they would be otherwise."

"Right. So should we just go over our plan for the night?" Akiko said as they started walking.

"Sure. Not much to go over, but, first and only stop, Musutafu Shrine. We go see the sights, do or say whatever comes to us, and wing the rest of the evening because we couldn't come up with anything else in particular to do."

"It's not much of a plan…"

"But it's the best one we've got."

Akiko and Jomei looked at each other as they continued to their destination. Indeed it may not have been much of an elaborate agenda for their first night out, but they were right – it was the best one they could come up with.

Now it was time to put it to the test.

* * *

Musutafu Shrine was much like the city in which it found both its home and its name. It was a place that was relatively new in the grand scheme of Japan's long and storied history, but it was a place many frequented for a variety of reasons. The obvious difference was, whereas Musutafu City was a metropolitan sprawl built to support an ever-growing and complex world of Quirks, Musutafu Shrine was designed to harken to the past.

Architecturally reminiscent of one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan, Sensō-Ji, the shrine was a place that anyone, heavily steeped in tradition or not, could go to pray in relative peace. To many, it was a refuge from the sometimes overwhelming nature of the urban lifestyle that commonly pervaded modern Japan. To many, it was an escape.

Jomei was not one of these people. He knew Akiko enjoyed their country's cultural heritage, given her love of literature, but neither he nor his parents ever went out of their way to visit places such as Musutafu Shrine.

In truth, this was one of the reasons he _wanted _to go there. He had proposed the place as somewhere he and Akiko could go for their first date because he knew Akiko would, without a doubt, enjoy visiting the shrine. Not only that, but in the process, perhaps he'd also learn a thing or two about the cultural heritage of the country he'd lived his entire life in. It was the safest option he could think of for the most uncertain outing of his life thus far.

And looking at it now… he realized he truly had been missing out.

They stood a few meters away from their destination, and even from outside the gate, Jomei could see why the shrine was a place of wonder to many. Brilliant red paint and old-fashioned upturned roofs highlighted centuries of the rich tradition and faith that was contained in Japan's long history, but that wasn't all the shrine had to offer. In addition to its feel reminiscent of antiquity, there was so much foliage woven in between the stone tiles and around its walls that it truly did seem like the shrine was a window into another world.

Jomei couldn't see the shrines to the kami exactly from where he was, but he could see orbs of light hovering in place, each illuminating the paths of the location itself, and each adding to the hushed other-worldly atmosphere.

It didn't explain where they came from, though.

"Akiko? Any idea what's with those orbs up ahead?"

Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Those are probably from a Kannushi, one of the keepers of the shrine; or more specifically, one of their Quirks. You can get licensed to use your Quirk for things other than hero work, after all."

"So do you come here all the time?"

"Well, not _all _the time, but… this really does never get old," Akiko murmured.

Jomei tilted his head in the direction of the entrance. "So I'm assuming we should head on in, then?"

"Hm… yes and no. There are a few things we have to do first before we go deep into the shrine."

"Oh?"

Akiko started towards the gate. "Just follow my lead."

It wasn't long before Jomei realized just how little he knew about his own culture. Whereas at first he thought entering Musutafu Shrine would only be as complicated as taking a few steps through a cool-looking gate, in reality, there turned out to be a few things one needed to do before heading further inside. For starters, as Akiko patiently explained, one was supposed to bow at the Torii Gate before crossing the threshold to the site whatsoever – this much, Jomei had no issues doing. After doing that, though, he started to fumble, if only slightly.

At the handwashing basin just past the gate, it took Akiko ceremonially washing her hands right to left in front of him for Jomei to even catch on to what she was doing. He followed her lead, copying the pattern before he dropped a coin into the offering box just beyond the basin, and finally, the buildup to being able to freely traverse the shrine was over. Admittedly, Jomei felt a little embarrassed at first, not knowing what to do at every turn, but Akiko seemed more than content to explain the meaning behind each gesture as she led him along.

To Jomei, that much alone made his initial confusion worth it.

It was as they walked together further into Musutafu Shrine that they quickly ran into two well-decorated statues on either side of them.

Both looked utterly demonic, their faces one-to-one resembling onis straight out of Japanese mythology. Given the place the statues were located, this was no surprise, but the rest of their appearance distinguished them from one another far more. The grey statue on the left stood atop a cloud, its stone hair flowing up and defying gravity, a series of drums hovering behind it, and its face was contorted in some inscrutable fury. The other, colored a warm green, was far less intense in its expression, wearing little more than a leopard skin for modesty alongside some kind of long bag that it draped over its shoulders.

The contrast between the left's statue's fury and the right's confident, almost grinning expression should have made them seem totally unalike, but somehow, the two entities' depictions complemented one another. If not for his lack of knowledge on the matter of mythology, Jomei would've loved to identify who or what the statues depicted, so he could appreciate them just a little more.

Fortunately for him, he was accompanied by a living library of literary knowledge.

"So, I'm guessing you found something you like?" Akiko asked, breaking him away from his staring.

"Yeah. These two statues… I feel like I should know who or what they are. Why else would they be so detailed?" Jomei wondered. "Or is it just normal for shrines to have statues like these all the time?"

Akiko smiled. "Well, not all shrines need to have statues, but as for you needing to know who they are? It's no big deal that you don't – it's your first time to a shrine, after all. But what I will tell you is that these statues are so detailed because they're actually gods. Want to guess what they're the gods of?"

"Taking an educated guess from what they look like... I'd say that the one on the left is the god of war and the right one is maybe the god of… nomads. Or maybe hunters. But that doesn't explain the bag…" Jomei scratched the back of his head. "Okay, yeah, that's the best I've got."

"On the right track, but not quite," Akiko said. "The two of them are, in fact, brothers. The left one is Raijin, the god of lightning and storms, and the other is Fujin, the god of wind. The bag on his back is actually a bag of winds, which he can unleash as he wants to so he can create storms."

"They sound pretty important," Jomei noted, looking at the statues again. "Why aren't they deeper in the shrine, then?"

"Because they're protector deities. It's believed that having their statues closer to the entrance lets them protect the shrine from evil spirits – if you read into some of the stories, they've even protected Japan from invasions a few times in the past."

"Seriously?"

Akiko nodded.

"Whoa. That's… kind of intense. And cool."

"Now you're starting to get why I like reading so much," she said wistfully, a soft smile tilting the corners of her lips.

It was so slight that someone else might have missed it, but Jomei noticed, and his heart soared at the sight. "Isn't it crazy how Quirks have made people with powers _like _gods, like, an actual thing we see every day? Heck, I think I remember reading somewhere that there was a Pro Hero back when they were still a new thing that was _named _Raijin. I just never knew the meaning behind the name until now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Akiko said, and she started to chuckle.

For a moment, Jomei didn't think twice about Akiko laughing. He was happy to have a clear indication that she was having fun, as was his goal for the night – hell, he was having fun learning a thing or two – but then it hit him that he didn't know what she was laughing at.

_'Please don't tell me I did something stupid…'_

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just…" She caught her breath. "There was a Pro Hero called Raijin, yeah, but he was even more reckless than Midoriya, if you know about him. His Quirk let him call down lightning, sure, but it could _only_ be called onto himself. His fighting style was just about boiled down to him tackling people and looking intimidating beforehand so he could try and get a clean hit on villains. Kirishima would've probably liked him."

"Wait… does that make him like, almost a worse version of Denki, then?" Jomei wondered.

"I don't know about that. The hero Raijin had trained for years before he became a pro when he was an adult, and I don't know enough about him to say if his Quirk had any drawbacks that he overcame when he was younger. Denki's still training to get past his, even if his Quirk has a little more range when he lets loose."

"Fair enough…" Jomei trailed off, and they started to move again. The gap in conversation that ensued only lasted as long as it took for two smaller, shack-sized shrines to come into view along the path to the main hall. "But, hey, how about you enlighten me about the other kami guys? These two little shrines here have plaques on them, so you can tell me all about Amaterasu and… Tsukuyomi? What's up with them? And… wait, if they're both kami too, why do they just have these two little shrines?"

Akiko inspected the plaques thoughtfully, though the content look on her face didn't go anywhere. "Well, for starters, Musutafu Shrine is rather unique in that it isn't dedicated to only _one _kami. The main hall is dedicated to one in a major way, but… Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi also got their own shrines here too. I think it had something to do with a dispute between architects who helped build the place wanting their own personal touches on the project."

"So they just decided to add two more shrines instead."

She nodded. "It certainly helped give Musutafu Shrine its own identity besides it being made with the help of Quirks, but back to the kami. Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun and the universe, while Tsukuyomi is the god of the night. Amaterasu has a few more stories written about her than Tsukuyomi from what I've found. If I had to guess, it probably has to do with how important a goddess she is more than anything, though."

"Gods of the sun and night… sounds like they compliment each other pretty well. I guess it makes sense that their shrines were put right next to each other, then."

"Right. There are also other reasons, but I don't know if you'd want to hear about those," Akiko confessed.

"Why not?" Jomei asked. He moved closer towards the shrines, bending over slightly to get a better look at their fine ornamentation and many offerings.

"Well, it's because some of their history is a little… _interesting. _Consider this me warning you. If you still want to hear about it though, I'd be more than happy to tell you what I know."

He stood and returned to her side. "Go for it. I mean, they're the kami that make day and night happen, how crazy can some of their stories be, right? Besides, I've got a thick skin, I think I can take it."

Akiko smiled mirthfully. "You asked for it… first of all, alongside the god of Susanoo, the god of the sea, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are two of the three oldest and most important kami of all. It's said that they shared the sky together, in the beginning, while Susanoo ruled over the seas. But back then, there wasn't a difference between night and day."

"Then something happened," Jomei guessed.

"Yeah. Even though they were brother and sister, Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu were _also _husband and wife. That's why day and night weren't separate things yet."

His eyes widened. "Okay… yeah, that's… that's weird."

"That isn't even as weird as it gets though," Akiko continued. "Without going into too much detail as to how she came about, one day, Uke Mochi, the goddess of food, was hosting a feast for the gods and Amaterasu wanted Tsukuyomi to attend and represent her there. Tsukuyomi went, of course, but… then he saw how Uke Mochi _created _food. Whenever she wished to create food for the oceans, she'd spit out fish. To the forests, she spit out game. And for rice paddies… she coughed up a bowl of rice. Disgusted, even though the food looked amazing, Tsukuyomi didn't hesitate and decided to kill her."

"That seems… a little harsh." Jomei shuddered.

"There's still a little more to the story though, if you want to hear it," Akiko offered.

It took a few moments, but he eventually shrugged. "I mean, I'm _never _going to look at rice the same way again, but sure. I'll just… try to focus on the not-spitting-up food part of the rest of this story."

Akiko giggled. "Well, there's not much more to it than what I told you. After Tsukuyomi returned, Amaterasu was so furious about what he'd done that she swore never to look at Tsukuyomi again. She moved to another part of the sky, creating the difference between day and night, and they were never in the same place again."

"I think I'd be pretty pissed too if I was in her situation… so I guess what she did makes sense. Still… _spitting up food?_ I…" Jomei trailed off, utterly at a loss. "Even with Quirks being a thing that's just… _weird,_ you know?"

Akiko's giggling returned, and this time, it didn't seem to be coming to a close any time soon. The difference was that this time, Jomei knew that it was probably a combination of his reaction and the dumb look on his face that probably set her off – embarrassing though the situation may have been, he had no objections to it. If it meant Akiko was happy, he was happy.

Then Akiko reigned in her laughter, and suddenly took hold of Jomei's hand, a rare smile on her face so genuine that Jomei only realized his feet were moving when she spoke up again.

"Come on! There's still something else you need to see here!" she breathlessly exclaimed. "If you think his shrine is amazing right now, just wait until you see the inside of the main hall. Just don't make too much noise and be respectful, and you're going to love it."

"Who are you and what've you done with Akiko?" He laughed.

"I'm serious! Come on, it's not too much farther up!"

Soon, the main building that presided over the rest of Musutafu Shrine loomed directly before the pair, and as they slowed during their approach to the entrance of the main hall, neither spoke a word. Somehow, it didn't feel like they needed to, lest either of them dare to break the sudden anticipation that filled the space between them.

As Jomei followed Akiko through the open doorway and deeper into the shrine proper, he couldn't help but find his attention firmly fixed on her. In the back of his mind, it felt as if he looked away for even a moment, the blue in Akiko's crystal core that proudly displayed her contentment would vanish, right along with the glowing smile he couldn't help but adore.

Even still, it wasn't long before he found his eyes drifting back to the shrine around him.

What he saw made his mouth fall agape.

Yes, the rest of Musutafu Shrine was beautiful. The sun's evening rays streamed through the trees and bathed the place in a heavenly array of light and shadow, and the orbs along the path twinkled with an almost magical appeal. But at no point before now, in the heart of the shrine, did he find himself so thoroughly entranced by the place so many before him had frequented.

In front of him and Akiko, at the deepest point within the main hall, sat what had to be the most important shrine of the place by far. A variety of offerings covered the immediate vicinity around the shrine itself, ranging from letters to flowers to prayers carved into blocks of wood and left behind by visitors for some heavenly being to hear. Aside from another offering box and an accompanying bell in the center of the room, and some illuminating orbs nearby, the majority of the area away from the shrine and its offerings was empty.

But amidst those countless offerings, there was a statue.

It was made of polished wood, and it was more impressive than anything Jomei had ever seen. The presumed kami depicted was female in appearance, sitting with its legs crossed beneath it in a meditative pose, sculpted with precise detail and ornamented with elaborate regalia fit for a goddess. It was a solid fraction as massive as the wall it sat against, and what looked to be easily a thousand arms stretched out behind it, palms forward and somehow managing to look more welcoming than intimidating despite the absurdity. Perhaps that last effect originated from the statue's tranquil expression, or maybe it was the comforting aura the area around him and Akiko seemed to exude, but…

That was a mystery Jomei didn't want answered.

"So… I'm guessing _this _is the big kami the whole shrine is dedicated to?"

"Mhm. She's called Guanyin, or as many people call her, Kannon," Akiko said, still looking reverently at the massive statue. "She's the goddess of mercy and the unique thing about her is that she originally came from Buddhism, but she just became such a popular deity that she was adopted by a whole bunch of other faiths over time."

Jomei paused. "Do you think that's why this place seems so… magical, then? Because it's dedicated to her?"

"Maybe. A lot of people like to believe that's the case." She looked down peacefully. "Some people think that, besides the building just being beautiful by itself, that Kannon herself has blessed Musutafu Shrine to be as otherworldly as it sometimes feels. After all, it's said that it's easier to count the grains of sand on Earth than it is to count the blessings Kannon has given humanity – thus, the thousand arms. The fact that this place is so peaceful might just be one of those blessings if you were to believe in that kind of thing."

"Do you?"

"I don't know," Akiko looked back up. "I've never really thought about it. Whenever I come here it feels like the first time all over again, and it's never occurred to me to think about that. Usually I just… stand here and admire the place, maybe pray a little, but…"

Jomei didn't interrupt her gazing at Kannon to get an answer out of her. From the awe that laced her tone as she spoke about the goddess depicted in front of them, it was clear to him that Akiko was truly at ease now, even without conversation keeping them company. Considering what wonder he'd felt seeing Kannon's statue for the first time himself, Jomei decided not to intrude on Akiko's tranquility. Instead, he decided to join her in that state, and let himself stare up at the goddess of mercy without a care as to the silence around him.

He didn't know what Akiko was thinking. He didn't know how much time would end up passing before either of them finally spoke up again. He didn't even know when it occurred to him, but, standing within the presence of Kannon, Jomei began to think that maybe there was something to this whole 'innumerable blessings' thing, after all. After everything he'd seen and learned at Musutafu Shrine, he felt he owed the place that much.

But looking at Akiko, so utterly at ease beside him, he _believed _that much.

* * *

Eventually, Jomei and Akiko left Musutafu Shrine. They bowed on their way out, as Jomei learned was customary when visiting a shrine, and were on their way. By the time they exited the grounds and the shrine began to shrink behind them, the sun had already set, and the sky was consumed by darkness once again.

As the pair began to wander aimlessly through the rest of downtown Musutafu, it was as if the setting of the sun did nothing to reduce the buzz of activity that one could expect out of an urban setting. People were still out and about, every square centimeter of the city lit up with a mix of screens, lights, and billboards, and Pro Heroes could be seen still performing their typical patrols. Altogether it made the city seem like it was as safe as could be, despite the dangers nighttime typically posed to the populace. It filled the air with a sense of ease, even if it had only been dark for a little while.

Despite their wanderings, though, neither found anything they were interested in along the way, and it seemed as though they'd just wind up contenting themselves with taking in the sights and sounds of the city before their date came to an end. That, and casual conversation along the way.

"Okay, so some versions of Uke Mochi have her _vomiting _up food instead? Lovely."

"Hey!" Akiko exclaimed. "You asked if there are different versions of that story, and I told you the answer!"

"True, but _still, _I don't think I'm ever going to get over the fact that vomiting up food is a thing in our mythology," Jomei said.

"Other mythologies can get really weird too, you know. I've also read a little about the Norse and the Greeks and some of their gods' origin stories and other myths can get downright bizarre in some places."

He nodded. "I'd ask for examples, but after Uke Mochi, I think I'm good for tonight."

"Can't stomach it?" Akiko smiled.

"Oh _ha, ha. _Very funny," Jomei rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance. "But hey, speaking of stomachs, you didn't have anything to eat before you left, did you?"

"Kind of? I had a little something to tide me over before I got ready."

Jomei grinned. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Good! And since we have a ton of time before you have to go home, that means I can go ahead and treat you to dinner!"

This time, it was Jomei's turn to wrap his hand around Akiko's, and he started to lead her forward before she had a chance to protest. At Musutafu Shrine, she'd been the one that was in her element, seemingly knowing the layout of the place of worship by heart and leading him along every meter, but right now, Jomei was in his. He didn't go out wandering just to familiarize himself with the city he'd been born in, but on the street they were at now, he knew enough of his surroundings to know exactly where he wanted to take them.

_'Come on, just a little bit further…'_

"Wait, where are we going?" Akiko hurriedly asked.

"Right… here!" Suddenly, he let go of her hand. He hopped forward and spun around, stretching his arms out beside him as if to display the small building behind him. "Ta-da! Takayama Ramen! On me."

Akiko smiled shyly. "Thank you, Jomei, but you don't have to spend money on me. I can pay for myself."

"Uh-uh. My treat. I'm not hurting for yen either, and it isn't right that I make you do all the heavy lifting at the shrine without returning some kind of favor. Remember, you're the one that told me all about those kami, _and _you kept me from looking like a complete idiot the whole time we were there." He moved forward and opened the door, motioning her to enter first. "So if you wouldn't mind…"

A wistful sigh was the only response Akiko provided, but she accepted the gesture without any further protest. Jomei turned to join her and took a moment to look upon the ramen house. If compared to even just the main hall of Musutafu Shrine, the restaurant seemed downright quaint. Despite how unremarkable it appeared to be in terms of size, however, the sights and scents of the moderately-busy establishment offered the space no small degree of its own charm. Stools, tables, and booths littered the limited space the restaurant had to work with in a sensible pattern, and a variety of personal items, photos, and musical instruments decorated the walls.

Upon looking back to Akiko, he saw the small amount of tension that had made its way into her shoulders dissolve, and his heart warmed a little at the sight. He'd known that Akiko would worry about him taking her somewhere expensive, and thus, it was here he brought her. He knew the food and the prices were good, and it was just charming enough that it'd hopefully convince Akiko to loosen up a little.

"You like it?"

"Yeah. It's… nice," Akiko said, inspecting the decor before throwing a look more directly at him. "Honestly, it is. It isn't cramped, it isn't fancy, but feels almost… homely. I like it. Where'd you find this place, anyway? Were you planning on taking me here the whole time?"

"Kind of. When I asked you if you ate before we met up, I was sort of just making conversation. Then I realized where we were, I knew this place wasn't too far away, and hey presto, dinner on me!" He smiled. "As for how I knew this place was here? My parents used to come here all the time back when they were still dating, and Mom even brought me here a bunch of times when I was younger and she'd get home from work too tired to cook. I might be biased, but I like to think this place is one of the best in town just based on charm alone."

"No arguments there…" Akiko agreed. "Thank you for sharing this place with me, Jomei. I'm still paying for myself though."

Her stomach growled, and Jomei raised a brow. "Yeah no, that isn't happening. Don't worry about it though, seriously. Price isn't a problem, and do I look like the kind of guy who'd spring some fancy dinner on you on our first date?"

"Right. Thanks again, though."

As she proceeded further into the restaurant, Jomei caught a glimpse of Akiko's smile returning in full force. His heart glowed in response, and it wasn't long before one of his own formed along his lips as he followed after her.

Thus, the impromptu second leg of their date began. They were seated at a table not too far away from the kitchen, ordered their meals, and in a surprisingly short amount of time, began to enjoy them. At no point did conversation die down between either of them. Jomei regaled Akiko with tales of the musical artists and memorabilia that dotted the walls, and for every minute detail, Akiko listened with rapt attention. In return, Akiko offered her insight on the more historical pieces dispersed amongst the musical ones, once again reminding Jomei of just how deep her comprehensive collection of knowledge ran. Even when their food arrived and their attention was split squarely between each other and their meals, the conversation continued – school, anecdotes about their Quirks, their classmates, nothing was off the table.

Time flew by as a result, but neither of them paid it any mind. Nothing life-changing ended up being said, sure, but the entire spur-of-the-moment meal was more than companionable enough for them. In truth, it didn't feel all that different from when they'd hang out normally, be it between classes or on their way home, and… it felt good. For both of them.

Of course, eventually, the time came for them to leave, and as Akiko was fetching some money from her bag, still insisting she should pay for herself, Jomei stealthily slid enough yen to cover the bill over their waiter's way. One goofy smile on his end and one eye-roll of feigned frustration on Akiko's later, and the pair were off once more.

It also became clear, as they left the ramen house, that neither of them were in any hurry to let their first date end just yet. Both were aware of this, but neither felt like they had had any idea as to why this seemed to be the case. Jomei entertained the idea that they were both waiting for something to happen between them, or perhaps Akiko was simply hesitant to return home just yet. Given how abundantly clear a picture she'd painted about her home life earlier that same day, and the hesitance he also felt about letting the night end, Jomei concluded it could've very well been a combination of both.

Checking his watch, he saw that they still had an hour and a half left before Akiko had to be home. It was with this information in mind that Jomei proposed they head back to his place. They may have not had enough time left in the night to do anything else major, but there was enough to make it there and have plenty of time to spare before their night together had to come to a close.

And he was going to make it count.

* * *

Through the help of a friendly taxi, it wasn't twenty minutes later Akiko found herself beside Jomei atop his roof. Despite the eventfulness of the night and the nonstop conversation they'd indulged in along the way, neither of them had said much of anything since they'd made their way up there. Instead, they both seemed content to stare off into the sparsely star-filled sky until one of them finally broke the comfortable silence. Akiko wasn't one to complain about such an atmosphere and relished in the simple sweetness of it all.

In this silence, lost gazing into the black infinity beyond Earth, Akiko reflected on what had happened over the past few hours. The first date of her life had been so very simple, and yet it still blew her expectations out of the water. Despite the buildup, despite all the nerves she'd had concerning the date when she first accepted Jomei's proposition in the first place, it turned out to be… comforting.

It wasn't what she had worried it could've been. At no point had she been flustered or uncomfortable, nothing they had done felt weird or unnatural, and the entire date could've been summed up in her terms as just another day with Jomei. It was just what she needed to take her mind off of the tumult that was her life lately, but it also felt completely normal. Natural, even, despite nothing overtly romantic happening between them.

But… it also felt like something more. Somehow, she could tell Jomei felt just the same way.

As that peaceful observation fluttered freely around the back of her head, she also took the time to try and discern where her feelings for Jomei even came from. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't something she'd spent any time thinking about too deeply, especially in the aftermath of the USJ incident and her parents' ultimatum. She'd fantasized about someone like Jomei coming her way, this was nothing new, but she never once considered _why _someone like him appealed to her as a potential partner in the first place.

At first, she considered that it was the possibility that the simple kindness Jomei expressed toward her is what earned him a special place in her heart. Given the sorrowful lack of positive regard she was given in her life, whether it be from her peers in junior high or her family, it wasn't that far-fetched an idea. She may have not been a psychologist, but even she knew that even a modicum of genuine praise and appreciation could go a long way when given to those in dire need of it. Considering the crippling degree of shyness she'd been burdened by before she met Jomei, it certainly seemed like she fit the bill.

Then again, it could've also been his insistence on doing things for her, like his paying for her meal, or keeping her grounded when she delved too deeply into her own head. Maybe it was because he reminded her she had an anchor, someone she could rely on no matter how tough things got to have her back. In a time before Takai had pledged to support her and proven his promise as bearing weight, such a reliable sort of friend was exactly what she'd needed to make life a little more bearable.

Or perhaps, in the simplest terms she could consider, she was falling for him because the world just seemed a little bit brighter when he was around – and not because of his Quirk.

In the end, though, she was just fine with the mystery of not knowing. She didn't _need _to know exactly why she might be falling for Jomei, just like she didn't need to know why her first date felt so fulfilling despite its straightforwardness. She was content, and that was what mattered.

Akiko blinked and turned her attention to her bag for a moment. She looked at her phone to check the time, and was pleasantly reminded that she still had plenty to spare before she needed to leave. She looked to Jomei, his hair blowing softly in the breeze, and it occurred to her that he looked rather charming. Between his hair, his amber eyes, and the confident way he carried himself, she supposed it shouldn't have been a surprise, but only now was she calm enough to appreciate how handsome he looked. Jomei had complimented her earlier, but she still found herself hoping that he felt somewhat the same about her as well.

Eventually, her eyes landed on his necklace, and a new thought popped into her head. She knew it had belonged to his father, Jomei had told her as much once, but she realized she'd never truly asked all that much about it. With time to kill and no reason not to, she decided to do just that.

Jomei detected her looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"That necklace belonged to your dad, right?"

"Uh, yeah," he raised the ring up between his fingers. "It was his engagement ring. He didn't want to get rid of it, so he turned it into a necklace. He gave it to me when I was old enough and… yeah, that's when I started wearing it. Why?"

"Because… you seem to wear it with everything. Your uniform, your costume, with what you're wearing tonight… I was wondering why that's the case, is all," Akiko admitted.

"Oh," Jomei looked at the ring. "You remember how a lot of why I want to be a Pro Hero is because of the fame, right?"

Akiko nodded.

"Well, my dad made me want to be famous. I mean, even if he isn't a huge hit making number one on the charts, how couldn't I want to be like him? I still looked up to Mom, though, so I ended up wanting to help people just like she did too. Obviously, becoming a Pro Hero would let me do both at the same time though, so… it was just the best option for me." Jomei's shoulders slouched a little. "But it's not like my dad's around to see me becoming a pro all the time."

"That's why he gave you his necklace," Akiko guessed.

"Yeah," Jomei confirmed. "It's sort of like a little link to him when he isn't around. Now that he's gone even more after his gig with Auditiva a while back… this thing's just even more important to me now, I guess. It isn't much, but it makes me feel like I'm becoming more like him _and _that he's watching me grow the whole time whenever I wear it. Sorry if that doesn't make any sense."

"You don't have to apologize," she said. "It makes sense. I think so, anyway. I may not know what it's like to want to be _like _my parents, but I do know what it's like when you want something from them that you just know you aren't going to get."

His eyes widened, and he dropped his necklace. "You really think your parents don't love you?"

"They pay for tuition at U.A., so that might count as supporting me somehow, but… I don't know. They don't understand, they never understood why heroes are willing to put their lives on the line for pay that's decided by the government, no matter how I tried to explain it to them. They don't understand _me._ My dreams. But I guess that much was obvious, given what happened with them earlier." She sighed. "The only person that _does _is Takai, but even though he cares, it's not like that little bit of support completely makes up for my parents, especially when I'm always trying _so hard _to become a Pro Hero."

"I'll always have your back, too, Akiko."

"I know." She drew her knees up to her chest before wrapping her arms around them. "Thank you for that."

For a few seconds, all was silent between them. The wind flowed past their ears, the distant sounds of the city could be heard, but not a single word was spoken. Akiko knew that Jomei was looking at her with that concerned expression only he could make, but she didn't turn to see it for herself. Instead, she tried to close her eyes and ignore the familiar pang of heartache that threatened to make its ruinous return back into her life as she thought about the people who waited for her at home.

Slowly, cautiously, Jomei spoke up once more. "Is it okay if I ask you something?"

She opened her eyes and glanced at him. "I don't see any reason why not. I don't have anything to hide. Not from you."

"I've noticed something about you. You've always dressed… I don't know, maybe modestly would be the right word?" he said. "I was wondering… is that because of your parents? Did they tell you to dress that way to 'protect the family reputation' or something?"

Akiko looked down and hugged herself a little closer. "It's not that, it's… it's dumb."

"And I won't judge you," Jomei said gently.

"Well… I dress the way I do because I'm… not all that confident about my body. It's vain, I know, but… it's also a little reason as to why I didn't know if I was even cut out for dating in the first place."

His brow furrowed. "Why's that?"

"You know how my family does work with models to advertise our jewelry?"

"...oh."

Akiko sighed. "When my parents are always working with people that look so incredible… look at it from my point of view. I couldn't help but compare myself to them. My chest isn't as big as any of theirs, I'm not the right height like they are, my hair isn't as long or pretty as theirs… you can see where this is all going. Combine seeing those models at our house sometimes to talk with my parents with Yaoyorozu and the other girls in class and… I can't help but feel I'm not the prettiest person around."

Jomei frowned, staring at her for a brief eternity before he said something again.

"You're wrong."

Akiko's posture straightened a little, and she looked at him in confusion.

"You know how you said that Kannon was supposed to have given an almost uncountable number of blessings to humanity, right? Well, unless I'm wrong… you don't have any reason to think of yourself the way you do… because I know I've found at least one." He smiled at her. "_You._ Everything about you. Who you are, what you look like, how you act, everything. So don't think that you aren't amazing in every single way Akiko, because to me, you _are_. You're everything I never knew I wanted in a friend and more… in ways I can't even begin to describe."

Akiko felt tears brimming in her eyes. Of course it would be him. Of _course_ it'd be Jomei that could, with a single compliment, make her heart scream in her chest as she heard his simple words, and it'd be him that made her realize that the pain within her was that of _years _worth of her longing to hear such a thing said about her.

It'd be him that'd make her feel truly _beautiful _for the first time she could remember.

She wiped at her eyes. She wanted to respond, but the tightness in her throat assured her that she'd choke on anything she tried to say. Thus, without a word, Akiko moved closer to Jomei, her legs to the side, before finally resting her cheek on his shoulder. She felt him tense for a split second, but he then relaxed not too long after.

Then, in return, Jomei's head tilted. His cheek wound up resting lightly atop her head and slowly, hesitantly, his hand eventually wrapped around her shoulder to hold her close.

In that gesture, an acknowledgment was shared between the pair without the need for their thoughts to be spoken. Neither of them were strangers to one another's touch, but this time there was something more in their contact. An expression of their shared desire to just have someone to hold, somebody to truly _love,_ was housed within the connection their bodies shared now. They both knew they were more than friends, more than even confidants in whatever woes they experienced throughout their lives after tonight. Now, in the truest sense of the word, they were partners. A couple.

And not a single sound needed to be uttered for them to reach such an understanding.

Despite the trials and tribulations it has taken them to get there, and the fact that this was clearly the start of something more, something _far _more than the friendship they'd shared for years, it was also clear that they were in no rush. The road had been long to arrive at the crossroads they were at now, and they weren't about to hasten their pace just because they'd opened their hearts to one another. They'd take their time, and no matter how long it took, they would be content to bear witness to wherever this new road would take them. Neither of them had thought they were ready for the night that had just transpired, but now that it had come to pass, it was worth it.

Two souls had journeyed far to reach where they were now. Two hearts, now joined, stared off into the urban sprawl that glowed warmly before them in the distance.

Into the distance, and into the future, eagerly awaiting whatever the world of tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Well, shit. This is it huh? The big payoff. I thought I'd have more to say here but uh… yeah. I know I may sound like a broken record but this chapter was a blast for me to write, and honestly? I had every major element of this thing planned since Jomei & Akiko's inceptions as characters. Every emotional beat I wanted to hit I felt like I hit and… yeah, I think that this chapter got the job I wanted it to do done rather effectively.**

**Now, Akiko and Jomei (heretofore known as Glowstone bc cute ship names) are officially a couple without having to go through the cliche 'is this where we become boyfriend and girlfriend officially' talk! I sincerely hope I managed to portray that lack of conversation yet complete understanding with some semblance of accuracy and emotional impact, **_**especially **_**after 19 chapters, but hey, don't you worry about WFAF becoming nothing but a lovey-dove fest. Akiko and Jomei are still going to be themselves, and there's going to be a **_**lot **_**more going on in this story, just like MHA itself, than merely the protag pair making goo-goo eyes at each other.**

**If at all. I mean, can we say for certain that they're that type of couple? As with all things… time shall tell. And my planning sheets, but **_**we don't speak about those.**_

**Stay awesome everyone!**


	20. Let the Games Begin

It was as Jomei went through his daily routine that Tuesday morning that he cautiously considered himself to be the luckiest person in history. Really, he was shocked. Shocked at how their friendship evolved into more over the years. Shocked at how nothing remotely resembling the disasters or missteps he'd feared had come to pass. He was especially surprised that he now found himself thinking of Akiko as not only his best friend, but his _girlfriend._

His girlfriend. _God, _that was going to take some getting used to. He was in a relationship now, and even compared to the stroke of indescribable luck that provided him with the Quirk he had, he considered Akiko to be the infinitely more valuable thing right now.

The night was simple. The night was wonderful. Akiko was _wonderful. _Deep within his heart, Jomei knew that his partner was a profoundly amazing person in every conceivable way, not the least of which being how utterly beautiful she managed to look no matter what she did.

That much was instantly clear when she rested her head on his shoulder, electrifying his heartbeat and taking his breath away all at once.

And looking at his phone that morning and seeing her slightly mushy text, how happy she was to have had a night away from her family, a night with _him._ It convinced him that she was totally feeling the same way too.

So yeah, he was extremely lucky. And as if his _first date ever_ going so well wasn't good enough, the fact his mother had actually shown _mercy _when asking about how his night out went was the icing on the cake.

And thus, with the Sports Festival on the horizon and the warm fuzzies still in his heart, Jomei was on cloud nine, and he didn't feel like coming down any time soon.

He didn't know what becoming 'official' would mean for them. From this point forward, he was completely in the dark, but he was confident that they'd be able to find their way through what it meant to be a couple just fine. He needed only to look so far back as the improvised nature of the latter half of their date to know that was true. There had been many unknowns then, and they'd been fine. No number of other unknowns moving forward would change that.

As a matter of fact, Jomei was looking forward to where things would take them. He wasn't looking to rush anything, and he'd ride the euphoric high he felt now for as long as he could before he started to worry. And honestly? He wasn't worried. If he could go through his first date and somehow manage to end it on a high note, he was optimistic that he wouldn't quite manage to bumble things up moving forward. He had a frame of reference now – don't be afraid of opening up, be supportive, and appreciate every moment he and Akiko spent together.

Basically, he just had to be himself. He could do that.

Headed downstairs after getting ready for the day, Jomei set his sights on the pantry for a quick breakfast, but not before he noticed that his mother was on the phone with someone. Without any intent to listen in on what could likely be just a business call of hers, he instead busied himself rummaging around for food. He eventually triumphed when he got a hold of some breakfast pastries, and as he grabbed a plate and tore into the foil wrapping, Ayane noticed him out of the corner of her eye.

She stopped speaking and put a hand over the microphone to greet him. "Good morning, Jomei. How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. Fell asleep right after I came back inside," he said around a mouthful of pastry. "Who are you talking to?"

"Your father."

Jomei paused, and swallowed, and had to hold back the urge to grab the phone right from his mother's hands. "Wait, what? I thought he wouldn't be able to call us for at least another week, right? Isn't he way too busy after his gig with Auditiva?"

"Well, he made time," Ayane said, and she started wheeling herself over before offering him the phone. "So, would you like to speak to him?"

"Y-yeah…" Jomei said, and he quickly took it from her. Still in slight disbelief, he spared a look at the ID to assure himself it really _was _his father and lifted it to his ear. "Dad?"

Haruto's response was immediate. _"H-hey, Jomei! Buddy! How've ya been?"_

"Good. Better than good, actually," he said, his words rushing out, "but… how do you have time to call us right now? I thought your gig with Auditiva got all your shows for the next few weeks completely booked?"

_"Eh, kinda sorta," _Haruto dismissed. _"But don't you worry about me, bud! I know how to run like the wind when it comes to getting from one place to another. Seriously, though, let's not talk me. Let's talk you! Hell, it's why I called. How's life at the big 'U.A.' treatin' ya?"_

"It's treating me well. Aside from one jerk in class and, well, the USJ incident, things have been really good."

_"Awesome! I know your mother already told you this, but I'm glad you made it out safe. Did your old man proud when I heard what you guys did to those villains!"_

Jomei's heart warmed. "Thanks… but yeah, it's been cool, meeting all our Pro Hero teachers in person. Cementoss and Ectoplasm are sometimes serious, but they're still approachable, and All Might… he's different than what I expected, but he's definitely the number one hero for a reason. Akiko's been great too, if you were wondering."

_"I was actually about to bring her up! I heard you two finally went on a date – I'd give you a high five but… phone. Still, how'd it go?"_

"It went great. Way better than I expected, even. It felt like we were just hanging out like normal but towards the end, things just kind of…" Jomei paused, searching for words.

_"Clicked?"_

"Yeah."

_"And I knew it would! Ayane always harped on about letting you do things at your own pace but I knew, I just _knew _that you had it in you! You have the ol' Nishimura blood in ya!"_

Jomei smirked. "It did take Mom talking to me to really get things rolling though…"

_"Eh, details!"_ Haruto dismissed. _"Point is, I knew things would work out! And I think they'll keep working out, so long as you want them to. Knowing Akiko, I think it'll be _way _easier for you and her to balance things out than it was for me and your mother. I mean, you remember how we met over a noise complaint filed against me? Compare that to you two meeting in junior high and you guys were practically set from the start."_

"Heh. Yeah…" Jomei trailed off wistfully.

Haruto's tone fell. _"Jomei? You ok there, bud? What's on your mind?"_

"Nothing, it's just…" He paused. "I miss you."

_"Oh."_

"Yeah. I-I know it isn't your fault that things got really good for you lately, I'm happy for you, honest, but… I just wish sometimes that you were here to see me when some of this stuff happens. Now the Sports Festival is coming up, and… I wish you could be there too."

_"I know, buddy. Listen, I understand that it sucks I can't be around right now, and it really does break my heart knowing I have to be away from home for so long, but I _will _be watching it, no matter what,"_ Haruto assured._ "I'll fight tooth and nail to make sure I have all the time I need to watch my son kick some ass in the biggest sports event in Japan, alright?"_

"Y-yeah. I'll do my best to make you proud!"

_"You don't have to make me proud, Jomei. I may not be around as often as I should, but no matter how far apart you and I are, I couldn't be prouder of the man you're already shaping up to be. You're on the track to doing what you wanna do, you're finding your footing with Akiko, and it doesn't matter what the result of the Sports Festival is for you – that isn't changing."_

If Jomei's heart possessed the same mood-expressing trait as Akiko's crystal core, he was sure that it would have glowed. He couldn't see the look on his father's face, but he could tell from his voice alone that his expression was one of pride as he spoke those reassuring words.

"Thanks, Dad… I love you."

_"I love you too, bud. I'm gonna go get ready for the gig, but I'm still calling next week to keep up, alright? Kick ass, take names, and be good to your mother for me in the meantime, alright?"_

"Right. Bye, Dad."

The call ended, and Jomei stared at the phone in his hand for a while before he looked up to find a knowing look on his mother's face.

"So… how're you feeling?"

He smiled somewhat. "Good. Dad's going to be watching the Sports Festival now."

"I figured, judging by how easy it is to read you two," Ayane mentioned. "So what're you going to do now that you have that in mind?"

Jomei donned his bag and stared at his father's ring determinedly between his fingers.

He looked back at her as he opened the front door. "I'm going to go beyond. Plus ultra."

* * *

As of Monday, when Aizawa announced the imminence of the Sports Festival, the event itself was merely two weeks away – starting one full month into the school year. The whole thing would be aired live on TV, with all the over-the-top festivities, advertisements, and media coverage that could be expected of an event that functioned very closely to Japan's very own Olympics. There was no doubt that whoever impressed the audience of millions would stand a better chance of becoming a Pro Hero someday, with the difference between fame and being forgotten laying in their hands depending on what they did.

That said, no one would know what the games would be until the first day, and in a world of Quirks, they could very well be just about anything; thus, everyone needed to prepare for all the possibilities. There would be no second chances.

Class 1-A all trained in their own ways, though most focused on preparing for the potential physical element of the upcoming event. Kirishima and Sato tested the limits of their strength and durability against one another in brawls. Shoji, Hagakure, and Midoriya trained the whole of their bodies in the gym every chance they got. Uraraka and Ashido traveled the furthest for their training, going all the way back to the USJ to improve their technique without fear of causing too much collateral damage.

Still, many other would-be participants trained in seclusion, either trying to keep some new techniques or facets of their Quirks secret, or simply maximizing their effective training time by distancing themselves from any distractions.

Jomei certainly couldn't blame anyone for that. He'd developed his Flashbang beneath everyone's noses, and its very existence remained a closely held secret between himself, Akiko, and Tokoyami. But he was by no means shirking on his training duties either. He spent every moment he could pushing the limits of his speed with Iida. On the track, where the class rep focused on moderating his engines' heat output to avoid stalling, Jomei worked to effectively master Light Speed, reducing the technique's already minimal drain on his gases over time to an even more negligible amount. At the same time, he also tested the strength of his Phosphor Beams against Aoyama's Navel Laser.

And as it turned out, Aoyama's Quirk was _way _stronger than Jomei's Phosphor Beams when used in short bursts.

Akiko was another sparring partner of his. In their brief battles, she assisted him in improving his accuracy and letting him truly go all-out against an opponent he knew everything about and vice versa. Never before had they been able to fight one another, but it felt exhilarating. To fight an opponent who knew his every move was something rare, but the input such an experience provided in the way of strategy was invaluable. It almost felt liberating, to see that their sparring dynamic was in no danger of changing in a hurry despite how eagerly they'd opened their hearts to one another.

It seemed to do Akiko good too. It helped her fine-tune some of her modes' fundamental techniques to the point of becoming second nature, and the spontaneity of strategy that fighting Jomei forced upon her brought forth new depth to her array of tactics.

Beyond Jomei, Ojiro also helped her understand how to better control her air mobility if the need ever arose, alongside filling what gaps he found in her knowledge of martial arts with his own expertise. Thus, it became readily apparent that the master of hand-to-hand combat possessed something of a kindred spirit with her, at least so far as their shared understanding and interest in martial arts went.

It all made the two weeks they had to prepare fly by and before they knew it, the day of the Sports Festival had arrived.

With it, the chance to let the world know they were here had come.

* * *

Festive fireworks burst in explosions of color. Crowds filled the authorized walkways of U.A. in droves, a palpably electric sense of anticipation in the air as everyone traveled to the monolithic Sports Festival Stadium. Along their paths were all manner of pop-up market stall confections and Pro Hero merchandise shops alike, each hollering for the attention of potential consumers.

Pro Heroes could be found spruced in throughout it all, with pros like Death Arms and others standing guard alongside breakout successes such as Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods. Word from the grapevine was that excitement abounded for the first-years' stage to an almost abnormal degree, and it was no secret that the USJ incident had a hand in that rumor.

Regrettably, Jomei didn't see any of this. Long before any civilians had arrived on the scene, Class 1-A had been told to change and await further instructions in their class' own waiting room. Lockers lined the sterile walls, and everyone was clad in their U.A. sports uniforms.

As he was doing lunges to keep himself warmed up, as many of his peers were in their own various ways, Ashido broke the odd quiet in the room. "Aw, man! I dig these sports uniforms, but I totally wanted to wear my costume…"

"At least everyone will be in them," Ojiro responded. "That'll keep things fair, right?"

"Yeah," Jomei agreed, "but what we're wearing isn't my biggest concern right now." Finishing his lunges, he rose, narrowly avoiding bumping into one of his peers.

"Easy for you to say," Hagakure harrumphed, "You've got it, like, _so _easy when it comes to standing out!"

"Not what I was going for just then, but still, sorry!"

"I wonder what they have in store for us for the first round," Sato wondered nervously.

"No matter what they've prepared, we must persevere," Tokoyami intoned.

"Right," Shoji said.

The door opened. "Everyone, your attention, please!" Iida boomed. "It's time to put your game faces on, I've received word that we're entering the arena soon!"

_'Already, huh? Guess it's showtime, then. I'm coming, Dad.'_

Jomei looked to his partner, who was sitting down. "You ready for this, Akiko?"

She stood. "I am. This is way too important for me _not _to be ready for it."

"Nice. I'm happy for you!"

"It's like I said before – I have to fight for myself more often. Of course, I've got to start somewhere, right? This is going to be big for me, for _both _of us, so why not here? It'll keep the pressure off you, at least."

He nodded. "True, but don't think I won't be around if you need me. Maybe not every step of the way, but… you get what I mean."

"I know," Akiko said, her eyes holding his gaze.

Before Jomei had a chance to blush, Todoroki caught their attention as he moved purposefully towards the middle of the room.

"Midoriya," he said.

Midoriya turned to him, his brows a nervous furrow. "Uh, hey, Todoroki. What's up?"

All eyes fell on the pair, and Jomei felt the tension fill the room.

"From an objective standpoint, I believe it's pretty clear that I'm stronger than you," Todoroki asserted.

"Uh-" Midoriya tensed for a moment before he sighed. "Y-yeah…"

"However… you have All Might in your corner helping you out. Talking to you during lunch, dragging you away under vague reasoning to speak to you about who-knows-what. I've noticed, even if everyone else hasn't." Todoroki's inexpressive mask didn't budge. "I'm not going to pry into what this means; he could just be buddying up to you because you two both possess strength-augmenting Quirks. But know that I'm going to beat you."

Jomei looked towards Todoroki's mismatched, unfeeling eyes and a wave of both surprise and confusion washed over him. Todoroki wasn't shy, but he wasn't one for idle conversation either. It made his present confrontation all the more perplexing.

"Whoa, what's with all the declarations of war lately…?" Denki nervously said.

Kirishima stood and put a hand on Todoroki's shoulder. "Yeah, what's the big deal? Why're you picking a fight all the sudden, and right before we're gonna get started?"

Todoroki twisted his shoulder free from Kirishima's grasp and started to walk away. "I'm not here to make friends. Don't forget this isn't a team effort."

"Wait a sec, Todoroki," Midoriya said.

He stopped.

"I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you need to tell me that you'll beat me. Yeah, of course you're better than me. In fact, you probably have more potential than most of the people in the hero course. That's why you got in so easily."

Jomei came up beside him. "Hey, you're being too hard on yourself. The rest of us, too."

"No," Midoriya denied. "He's right, though. All the other courses are going to be coming at us with everything they've got. We're _all _going to have to fight to stand out." He glanced at Jomei before looking determinedly at Todoroki. "And I'm going to be aiming for the top, too."

Todoroki's expression remained unimpressed, and he spoke only one word in response.

"_Fine._"

* * *

Before long, Class 1-A was on the move. Everyone seemed to radiate fiery determination as they walked in silence, and Akiko knew that no matter what tension she felt deep within her gut, she could _not _let it stop her now. The Sports Festival was an opportunity many would kill to participate in and letting herself worry too much about what was coming next now would be tantamount to self-sabotage. So, as difficult as it was, she forced herself to focus solely on the present, as that was where she'd stand the best chance of triumph over the concern that so often gnawed at her insides.

The start of the first years' day, _their _day of the Sports Festival, was just a few moments away now. And she could easily recognize that Jomei couldn't exude any more excitement if he tried.

_"Hey!_" Present Mic announced. _"Make some noise all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras up and running, media orgs! We're about to be bringing you some of the hottest performances in all of Sports Festival history, _guaranteed! _**Are you ready!?**__ Let me hear you scream as our students make it to the main stage!"_

Even through the dim tunnel, the cheers were deafening. The daylight at the end of it was blinding, a portal into an entirely different world than one anyone in Class 1-A was familiar with. As they all stepped out into the spotlight, Akiko knew the eyes of an entire nation were on them. She imagined Takai, her teachers, and hundreds of thousands beyond peering down at her and her peers, but she only allowed herself to think one thing as she entered the place in which heroes' stories were forged.

_'This is it.'_

Their group headed towards the center of the field and the dazzling cacophony of excited cries of encouragement poured forth. Present Mic continued, _"This first group are no strangers to the spotlight, folks! You know them from withstanding a villain attack! The dazzling set of students lighting up your TVs with their solid gold skills… it's _Class 1-A!_"_

Akiko looked around in awe as the three-tiered megalith of a stadium's scale began to sink in, much like most of 1-A, but otherwise remained silent.

"I could get used to this…" Jomei whispered to himself. "But, hey, Akiko. You good?"

She took a deep breath, and even surprised herself as she found her crystal core a determined orange in color. "I am."

"Heh. Awesome… then let's show the world what we're made of, alright?"

Akiko only returned a nod.

"Whether we're all confident or not, I sincerely hope that we're all able to put on our best performances, at least. With so many eyes watching us… but I suppose this is just another aspect of being Pro Heroes that we need to get used to," Iida said.

"Present Mic sure hyped us up a lot…" Kirishima muttered. "Kinda makes me nervous. What about you Bakugo? How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever. This kind of attention just makes me want to win this whole thing even more," Bakugo practically growled.

_"This next group hasn't been getting nearly as much screen time, but don't you dare count them out yet, because they're ready, roaring, and chock full of talent! Welcome hero course _Class 1-B!_"_ Present Mic shouted.

To Class 1-A's left, their counterparts in 1-B emerged with just as much confidence as their self-imposed rivals. Tetsutetsu spearheaded the march forward, and Akiko noticed Jean energetically waving out towards the stands, seeming to relish the intensity the crowd thrust upon her. Thad was walking alongside her, utterly inexpressive save for the barest hint of incredulity that he displayed at his fellow American's exuberance. The rest of Class 1-B kept their eyes on either the stadium or the crowd ahead, though all of them looked distinct in their own ways. All fit to be seen in the ranks of the hero course.

_"Next up, general studies courses C, D, and E!"_

Akiko instantly saw Shinso at the front of his class, but he didn't spare so much as a glance towards anything but what lay in front of him, determined and almost lazy in his stride. His peers, however, looked less than happy to be at the Sports Festival to begin with.

_"Now don't you forget the up-and-coming costume creators and gizmo gods – support courses F, G, and H!"_

Salmon pink hair in dreadlocks and a steampunk hat. Solid steel gauntlets and suave combat boots attached to a silver-skinned scientist in the making. The support courses' students walked out with exhilarated glints in their eyes and most trained their attention solely on the booths of the stadium dedicated to the official support company spectators in attendance.

_"And finally, business classes I, J, and K!"_

The final trio of classes appeared through their tunnels, gaudy hairstyles distinguishing them from those who came before. They carried themselves with purpose, clearly aware of the importance of the event they'd been privileged to participate in. They murmured among one another, as if analyzing their surroundings the very moment they entered the arena.

Amidst it all, Akiko felt insignificant in comparison to the grandeur that she was now part of, but she knew she couldn't let herself slip up. Her hands balled into fists, her crystal core flared, and her focus remained only on her fast-approaching destination.

Upon the participants' arrival to the square dirt portion of the grassy arena, their attention funneled itself onto the small platform that had been erected before them.

Midnight stood atop it, her sky-blue eyes and layers of abundant dark purple hair alongside her seductively-split bangs and curvaceous frame to _demand _the audience's attention – to speak nothing of her chosen attire. Her costume, akin to a dominatrix, had her don a black leather breastless leotard over her white bodysuit, with the leotard possessing red gemstone-like accessories aligned vertically from the collar to the midriff. She also wore translucent black thigh-high stockings and matching knee-high boots, with a red mask outlining her eyes, a handcuff on each wrist, and a red utility belt decorated with gold studs around her hips.

In essence, her costume was designed to grab people's attention. Midnight might have been a rather effective Pro Hero to have act as the chief umpire of the first-years' stage of the festival this year, but that fact remained obvious. In some ways, Akiko wondered if Midnight possibly sustained herself solely off the joy of flaunting her sexuality and the empowerment she derived from dressing up so provocatively. Akiko definitely felt better about her own looks after her conversation with Jomei two weeks ago, but she also doubted that she'd ever feel as at home in her own body as Midnight so clearly seemed to be.

She also doubted that she'd ever understand how one of her teachers managed to maintain a career based entirely around innuendos and sex appeal without almost any apparent effort.

"Uh, someone should probably talk to Midnight about what she's wearing," Kirishima nervously said.

"Yeah," Denki agreed. "That costume should come with a warning."

"She totes the line of legality with that attire," Tokoyami brooded. "Is that really appropriate apparel for a high school game?"

Jomei desperately avoided looking at Midnight entirely, which Akiko couldn't help but find rather endearing. "She's the R-Rated Hero for a reason… just be thankful there are laws that keep her from wearing her Birthday Suit Style costume…"

Mineta just threw up a fierce thumbs-up. "Speak for yourselves… I think this Sports Festival is the greatest one in the history of everything already…"

Denki just glared daggers at the deviant.

Midnight cracked her whip in the air, interrupting the quiet conversation of the students below. "Silence, everyone! It's time for the opening speech! And for the student pledge, we have… _Bakugo Katsuki!_"

Silently, Bakugo heeded the call and walked forward, leaving his peers in shock.

"Wait…" Midoriya started. "H-_he's _the first-year rep…?"

"He did finish first in the entrance test…" Akiko remembered.

A brunette to their right sighed emphatically. "Only for the hero course exams… leave it to the big-shots to have their egos inflated."

"Oh! Right…" Midoriya trailed off.

Sero leaned in. "Ignore her. That girl _obviously _hates us."

"Yeah, and we've got Bakugo to thank for that…" Denki grumbled.

As Bakugo ascended the few steps leading to the microphone alongside Midnight, Akiko watched all eyes land on Class 1-A's hothead. She tensed in preparation for whatever he'd end up saying, Jomei stared at him with a scrutinizing gaze, and Denki and Kyoka both narrowed their eyes, clearly just as unsure about what would come out of his mouth as the rest of 1-A. The stands fell silent.

The microphone whined as Bakugo drew close. For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he found his voice. "I just wanna say…"

Akiko gulped.

"_I'm gonna win._"

Instantly, a disapproving din of inflamed insults and booing filled the crowd of first-years.

"_What'd you say!?_"

"You're so full of it!"

"That's so like you hero course brats!"

"Get off the stage, punk!"

Denki growled. "Come on, Bakugo! Are you _trying _to get us all killed or something?!"

Iida launched himself forward, chopping his arm wildly. "Why would you say something like that!? You're representing us all!"

"Hey," Bakugo shrugged and pointed a thumbs down. "Not my fault the rest of you are just steppingstones to my victory. You're extras, that's all there is to it."

"I'm gonna _crush _this overconfident jerk! I can't _wait _to knock him down to size!" Tetsutetsu roared.

Thad winced. "Might I ask if you can take it down a few decibels…?"

Jomei just rolled his eyes as Bakugo returned to his spot among them, not so much as glancing in his direction. Bakugo did the same, and it looked like he was entirely unphased by the wrath he'd brought down upon himself and 1-A.

"Jomei?" Akiko said.

"Hm?" Jomei crossed his arms. "Look, he's an asshole, but I'm not going to let him ruin my performance. He wants to make himself the first person on everyone's hit list? That's fine by me. I'm not getting involved in that, though."

"Even if he just turned us all into targets," Kyoka deadpanned beside them.

"Yep. I've got better things to think about other than Bakugo being, well, _Bakugo._"

Denki sighed. "Fair enough, I guess."

Overhead, a massive screen blinked to life, announcing the shift in events from 'opening ceremony' to 'first game' in bold red font.

Another crack of her whip drew attention back to Midnight. "And without further ado, it's time for us to get started! This is where you all start _feeling the pain! _The first fateful game of the festival!" Behind her, a hologram began spinning furiously, deliberating by chance what would follow. "What could it be…?"

The spinning stopped, and as everyone got a chance to read the display, she smiled. "Ta-da! Behold your first challenge!"

"So it's going to be an obstacle course…" Akiko murmured.

"Even without knowing the details, this is good for both of us," Jomei observed.

Denki huffed. "Easy for you to say – your Quirks make getting around easy!"

"Get over it, Denki. We're both in the same boat here," Kyoka chided. Denki deflated a little where he stood.

"Now, all 11 classes will participate in this treacherous contest!" Midnight announced. "The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium, and of course," she licked her lips and hummed, satisfied, "I don't want to restrain anyone, at least not in _this _game! So as long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires! Now then, take your places contestants!"

As the students turned around, a red gate with three lit-up green lights on its arch came into view, the only divider between the arena and the tunnel that formed the start of the track.

"Akiko, come on," Jomei quickly said.

Akiko nodded and swiftly followed him. It was as they found themselves at a slightly brisk pace that brought them ahead of many of their competitors that Akiko then realized the meaning behind their hidden haste.

"This is about getting closer to the gate than everyone else, isn't it?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah. Just look at what the start of the course looks like."

"It's a tunnel leading out of the stadium…" Akiko mused. Her eyes widened in realization. "Wait! With so many people here, it'll funnel us all!"

"Exactly. Still, I don't know about you, but I'm stopping just a few rows of people before the front. If people can use their Quirks, I don't want to be at the front of the crowd when this starts and run the risk of getting swarmed." Jomei stopped walking. "Once this thing starts, though, I'll be able to run ahead of the competition – take advantage of the open space after the tunnel."

Akiko halted beside him and looked forward. Up close, the tunnel looked somewhat tighter than even the one Class 1-A had emerged from, despite how enormously taller it was by comparison. One of the gate's green lights ticked off, and she narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"Sounds like a plan, Jomei."

_'Now all I have to do is be smart about how I use _my _Quirk to get through this… obviously, I'm going to have to – there's no way I'm going to outrun everyone here without using it to get a leg up on them. That said, I still have to be careful, or else I'm just going to end up sabotaging myself by pushing my Quirk too far and hurting myself. At that point, it's game over.'_

For once, her thoughtful nature worked with her. As the USJ incident had taught her, she may not have considered herself a strategist or a tactical powerhouse, but she did know how to plan to get the job done. Now more than ever, that skill would mean all the difference in deciding if her endeavors would end in resounding success or crushing failure.

Another green light ticked off, and her plan fully formed in her head. Her crystal core, eyes, and hair all shifted to the familiar deep green of emerald mode. Beside her, Jomei's gases preemptively began to surround him in his typical colorful cloak. The few others she noticed around her tensed, ready to leap into action at a moment's notice.

As the final light dimmed, for a moment, time seemed to stop.

Then came the announcement.

"Contestants… _begin!_"

In the span of a single order, chaos incarnate was released unto the world. The thunderous stampede of sprinting steps filled Akiko's ears, and it was only for little more than a few seconds that she had a view of anyone other than her herd of competitors once she passed the gate into the tunnel. Even ahead of the majority of the crowd and springing into action nigh-on-instantly herself, the sudden swarm of movement threatened to crush her beneath the tide of bodies that raced through the cramped space alongside her. Not that anyone else was doing that much better than her – _no one _had escaped the finite jaws of the funnel, not yet.

But if she could just get a little closer to the outside of the stadium...

_"And we're off to a racing start!"_ Present Mic announced. _"How about some clever commentary, my main man!?"_

_"How did you wrap me into this...?"_ Aizawa deadpanned.

_"What should we be paying attention to at this early stage of the race? What obstructive obstacles could our contestants be facing already!?"_

_"The doorway. It's a funnel, and the first test before they can even hit the track…"_

Akiko didn't pay attention to the rest of what Aizawa said. She saw daylight and an opportunity, and that was all she needed to act on her plan. Without so much as a moment of hesitation, she stomped her foot into the ground and took it.

A stone pillar erupted from the ground beneath her, and she _flew._

Catapulting through the air and over what remained of the crowd ahead of her, she noticed someone else acting on a plan of their own. Todoroki's right foot tapped the ground, and what came next happened both instantly and decisively.

Ice avalanched from where he'd hit the ground, and it flooded forth, freezing those precious few who'd escaped the tunnel as he continued his run past them and onto the main track uninhibited. As he ran, the ground under his feet continued to freeze in a thin sheet of ice – a perfect obstacle for him to make to impede his competition.

Only Akiko knew she could counter this perfectly. As she approached the ground, she switched her mode from emerald to sapphire, and she transitioned from flying towards the earth to skating along the frozen ground via her Quirk. She sped up her skating to keep up with Todoroki, still using his trap to her advantage until she started gaining ground on him. Even still, he remained in the lead and he looked at her without showing even the barest hint of surprise.

"To be expected," was all he said before he hastened further down the track.

But then Akiko realized – he hadn't just been looking at her. He was looking at everyone _behind _her, as well. She followed his previous line of sight, and she saw a flurry of activity as several others circumvented Todoroki's snare.

Aoyama blasted his way forward with his Quirk.

Bakugo rocketed through the air.

Yaoyorozu vaulted over everyone else with an ever-growing pole emerging from her hand.

Jomei swiftly melted a path through the ice with his Light Speed the moment he broke through the bulk of the crowd.

"I won't let you get away… you _icy-hot bastard!_" Bakugo roared.

"Nice trick, Todoroki, but it isn't working on me!" Yaoyorozu declared.

"Ice isn't slowing me down, buddy!" Jomei announced. "Ionized gas melts thin sheet of ice, every time, and I've got places to be!"

Ojiro bounced skyward with his tail. "And don't forget the rest of us! We've all seen this trick before – don't expect it to work again!"

All of Class 1-A broke through somehow, and Akiko even noticed Tetsutetsu and people from other courses as they emerged from the tunnel far behind her, but she shook her head and focused her attention forward. There was no time to think about what everyone else was doing. The only thing that mattered was that she remained hot on Todoroki's heels.

She may have been using her Quirk, but the strain sapphire mode placed upon her when all she was using it for was skating would be next to nothing. It didn't matter if other members of every other course were making their way through the trap – she could keep up and stay in at least second place so long as Todoroki kept up his freezing strategy. If he ever stopped, though… she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. She had a lead right now, and she wouldn't think about the worst-case scenario. Not now.

"So many people were able to dodge that," she heard Todoroki say to himself. "Even those from other classes… a change of strategy might be in order."

A flurry of purple balls landing along the frozen track caught their attention. Each stuck to their marks perfectly despite the ice, and Akiko realized exactly who'd flung them.

_'Oh no…'_

"Ha!" Mineta laughed, and he speedily bounced forward off of his Quirk's spheres, his manic grin focused solely on Todoroki. "You think you're so cool, but I've outsmarted you! How pathetic, Todoroki! Now eat this, my special attack!" He plucked another ball from atop his head. "Grappl-"

Without so much as a warning, the satisfying _clang _of a metallic fist colliding with the side of Mineta's skull interrupted his moment of triumph. When looking back upon the obstacle race, Akiko knew that the memory of Mineta's perverted self being sent flying would be nothing short of cathartic. Even if she'd never admit it out loud.

Todoroki stopped freezing the ground beneath him and slid to a halt at the same time as Akiko, who remained a little ways behind him. It was then that they found themselves under the gaze of a familiar-looking faux villain.

And it was _far _from alone.

_**"Target acquired. Termination recommended."**_

She heard Midoriya gasp behind her. "W-what!? The robots from the entrance exam?! They're here?!"

_"Oh, enemies have appeared out of _nowhere!_ I bet we're in for a treat here!"_ Present Mic announced. _"A real test of strength and cunning… it's a robo inferno!"_

Behind her, several one-pointers and the odd two-pointer moved to seal the narrow portion of the track off from where it opened up into the wider field Akiko and Todoroki found themselves in. Their mere presence blocked any wary competitors from carrying onward.

Jomei wasn't a wary one, however. He slid under the legs of a one-pointer too preoccupied staring down Midoriya to notice him and hopped back to his feet before he skidded to a halt next to Akiko. He followed her line of sight upward, and his gases flickered for a moment as he took a step back in shock.

"Wait, are those the zero-pointers from the practical test!?" he shouted. Others echoed his reaction as they caught up.

"No way!"

"Seriously?"

"How're we supposed to get past that?!"

No fewer than eight of the titanic machines stood in the open space, and each stared dead at them to dash their hopes of moving further along the track. Their red eyes glowed menacingly and the sun behind them provided the machines with monstrous silhouettes.

But Akiko wasn't concerned with their size. She knew she could at least hold them off for a few moments, and outrunning them wasn't an issue, but… she needed a plan, especially now that there were so many. Jomei and everyone else would have to fend for themselves.

_'Come on Akiko, think… how do you get past-'_

She stopped. The zero-pointer at the front let out a bellowing roar as it started to move, and its open palm soared through the air on a collision course with Todoroki. Todoroki didn't move even a centimeter and instead started readying his Quirk. As the ground beneath him froze, the ice along his right arm and foot crystallized into small pillars, and each seemed to glitter with unknown potential.

Todoroki stared down the fast-approaching fist, and the parallels between his silent stubbornness and Shinso's petrification in the face of the same threat didn't escape Akiko.

Her legs would have launched her into the same line of action she'd taken back then too, were it not for him finally speaking.

"So this is what the other students faced in their entrance exams…" He slapped his palm onto the ground and small pillars of ice crystallized into reality, merely a warning of what was to come. "U.A. obviously went through a lot of trouble to get these here, but I wish they'd prepared something a little more difficult."

He glared up at his foe. "Especially since my _dear old dad _is watching."

One swipe upward with his hand was all it took. One moment the zero-pointer was ready to smash Todoroki into the ground, and the next, it was frozen solid by the reverse avalanche its foe had cast forth.

The only indication Todoroki even gave that it even required any effort was the single foggy exhale that followed the attack. He didn't even wait to admire his handiwork before he began his sprint down the track all over again, and he passed right through the zero-pointers legs without so much as a thought.

Which left Akiko behind as she stared at the thing in awe.

"Hey, we can follow him!"

"Yeah, right between its legs, let's go!"

"No!" Yaoyorozu shouted. "You're all just going to get crushed! He froze them while they were off-balance…"

As she spoke, the ice shattered and the monolithic machine crashed down, kicking up a storm of dirt and deafening sound. Akiko could only think one thing as Todoroki was obscured by the collapse and its dust.

'_And he meant to do that to slow us down…'_

Which meant that he had timed his attack perfectly.

_"And that's Todoroki Shoto from Class 1-A pulling _way _ahead with an early lead and a devastating display! With a Quirk with no known limits that can burn up the charts with his left side and chill you to the bones with his right, it almost seems unfair, but he's definitely one you should watch! Thoughts?!"_

_"His attack was both offensive and defensive,"_ Aizawa explained.

_"No wonder he was let in based on recommendations!" _Present Mic hollered. _"He never even fought those robotic villains before, and they still didn't stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!"_

"He's insane… guess Todoroki really does have potential," Jomei thought aloud.

"Get outta my way, _lightshow!_"

Bakugo's rocketing forward into the dust cloud ahead struck Akiko and Jomei both from their utterly awed states.

As did a girl with long vines for hair slingshotting herself forward.

And an ash blond boy with no lips quite literally _swimming _through the ground.

Jomei growled and didn't say a word as he resumed his own Quirk-assisted sprint forward, at which point Akiko shook her head and followed. She braced her arm against her face to protect her eyes as she entered the dust cloud, and all light dulled into brown obscurity.

_'There's no point in wasting my Quirk now! Just sprint through and keep going Akiko, you're still in this! You can still get to the next round!'_

Mechanical silhouettes rushed by her, one-pointers and a few two-pointers both headed behind them and towards the mass of students that remained by the narrow track leading into the field. It occurred to Akiko at that moment that the bots could have very well been focusing on simply entering the spaces they'd be most obstructive to the greatest number of people – it'd certainly force everyone to go 'plus ultra' to move on, but…

Zero-pointers stood as the living wall of the robo inferno. One and two-pointers could serve as the mobile barriers to entry _to _that wall in the first place. Neither of those challenges accounted for a failsafe in case someone made it through both of those lines of defense.

It also didn't account for the three-pointer faux villains.

Which, as she emerged from the dust cloud and lowered her arm, she came face-to-face with, just like the handful of other students that were fighting their way through the things now. She paused for the briefest of moments as she took in the sight, and when she saw a path that could lead her through the chaos, she willed her legs to move once again.

It wasn't long before a three-pointer picked up on her sudden movement, and it let out a deep and threatening beep as its four legs quickly positioned it in between her and her path forward. Akiko skidded to a halt.

Within the myriad of rocket pods atop its back, a single ordinance peeked outward with a satisfying _clink_ as it prepared to fire upon its target.

Akiko shifted herself into a combat-ready stance. Her crystal core flared brightly as she transitioned into ruby mode, and even her now-red hair and eyes burned with more intensity than they'd ever shown before. She hadn't dealt with the likes of the walking and weaponized rocket silos before her during the entrance exam, but there was no room for any indecision here. Not when her future as a hero was at stake.

_**"Target acquired. Termination pending in three… two… one…"**_

Akiko felt fire well up in her chest, and warmth washed over the entirety of her being. In that moment, she could have thought any countless number of other things in response to the threat before her, she recognized and accepted only one thing.

_'You aren't stopping me.'_

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Oh my goodness gracious me, I may have written this chapter super quickly compared to some others, but **_**jeez **_**am I coming to realize that chaotic combat and events happening is just **_**so **_**difficult to translate super well from animation to text. Or, well, manga to text either. Ah well! At least this way I'm pushed to my limits and have to go beyond! Ad victoriu- wait no wrong franchise. Anyway! Indeed, much of this chapter is setup before the big event that I'm sure everyone cares about more than the obstacle course, but… three thingies before I go.**

**One. Yep, Haruto isn't just some name that ain't gonna even have a moment in the story beyond him being not-even-given-dialogue in his 'scene' with Present Mic in 'Ill Omens.' He's a character, believe it or not, and I do intend on not letting him fade into obscurity. I still have plans for him. I can even confirm that while he is only going to be about as relevant as the likes of Ayane or Takai, he still has a good chunk more relevance and 'oomph' to bring to this story yet…**

**Two. I didn't plan on going on about Midnight for the hot second I did, but when I stumbled into the idea of Jomei being embarrassed to even **_**look **_**at her after starting to date Akiko… not gonna lie, I found it too cute to not include.**

**Three. **_**Man **_**has it been fun to write Akiko when she's hellbent on not overthinking things. Her Quirk is surprisingly good at increasing her mobility in bursts, even if it can't be used as nonstop for that purpose as Jomei's Light Speed technique, and it's always freeing to be able to write her being a bit more creative with it even though she still has to be mindful of her limits. More to come from her and Jomei both in terms of creative Quirk use!**

**And that's all she wrote. PEACE! Oh, and stay awesome! **_**Now **_**peace!**


	21. In Their Own Quirky Ways

_**"Firing."**_

Akiko rolled away from the concussive rocket the three-pointer sent her way, and the ordinance exploded harmlessly behind her in a burst of pink smoke. The explosion was followed by a gust of wind that whipped her hair around her face, and the three-pointer paused, calculating its next move. Akiko thought fast and started running straight towards it.

She may have not been able to use her Quirk as frivolously as other people could, but that didn't mean she could afford to think too hard about using it now, not when one direct hit from the faux villain before her could destroy the small lead she'd managed to create for herself. There was no room to delay.

But there was room to take advantage of the intervals between its rocket fire.

She twisted and dodged another rocket sailing towards her, and continued her sprint forward. Another rocket peeked out of its chamber with a familiar_ clink,_ and she rapidly closed the distance between her and the three-pointer, another split-second plan forming in her mind.

_'Okay, Akiko, don't hesitate! Just do it!'_

Flame erupted from her feet courtesy of her Quirk's chosen mode, flinging Akiko overtop the three-pointer's bulky frame and out of its line of sight. It proved only a momentary diversion. The machine shifted on its four legs, rotating to aim its next rocket straight at Akiko. Akiko felt the bot tracking her sudden burst of vertical mobility and as the rocket was launched, she twisted midair and countered with a strong jab of flame.

The ensuing explosion sent her skyward, but this was all still going according to plan. If she could get high enough above the three-pointer that its rocket pods couldn't angle themselves high enough to hit her, then it'd be forced to change strategy, or at least its footing.

Another rocket clinked into a ready-to-fire position, Akiko began falling towards the ground, and the three-pointer rose awkwardly onto two feet, the pod on its back pointed at its mark.

Unfortunately for the machine, this also meant its quarry had a clean shot at the exposed rocket.

Akiko sent one more fistful of fire forward, and the faux villain's multiple cameras seemed to glow brighter. At the same time, Akiko angled herself parallel to the ground and sent one more conservative jet of flame out from her feet, launching her back into the same sprint she'd started her engagement in right when she landed. Her attack then met its mark, and the rocket destined for her exploded in its chamber, but Akiko kept her focus on the track ahead, the plume of flame at her back.

She didn't spare a glance backward to admire her handiwork, but she heard the chain reaction within the robot's rocket pods as it turned into scrap metal loud and clear.

"I knew I wouldn't let you stop me…" she whispered.

_"And that right there is none other than Takara Akiko, folks! With a multi-faceted elemental Quirk that lets her sling so many sweet attacks at her foes, you can bet your top-dollar that she's got a move for every situation!" _Present Mic announced._ "It's like she's an elemental expert, and you've only seen one of her ele_mental _modes!"_

Akiko shook her head and kept running forward. Present Mic was just doing his job, and he'd be announcing the names and a little detail about everyone who made any kind of waves in terms of flashy stunts as long as the obstacle race was going. Even if this meant eyes were on her, she did her best to ignore the announcement and the attention therein. She had bigger things to worry about.

More importantly, she couldn't _afford _to worry about people watching her right now. It'd be another story entirely if it was just her and one other person on screen, but there were _hundreds _of other people for the entirety of Japan to pay attention to. If the time came that she had to deal with the spotlight, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. Right now she had an obstacle course to complete.

It was as she grew ever closer to where the field narrowed back down into the track ahead that she noticed the movement of familiar neon blues and purples nearby. Jomei dodged the pincer of the two-pointer he'd engaged with thanks to Light Speed, before dropping out of the technique to spin through the air and blast the machine's head clean off with a follow-up Phosphor Beam. As he hit the ground and the machine fell with the sound of crunching metal, another announcement hit their ears.

_"Say hello to Nishimura Jomei, everyone! That stunning stunt right there was brought to you by none other than the flashy flare and pulse-pounding power behind his Quirk, _Noble Gases. _But don't think they're only good for party balloons, folks, because he can charge 'em up and dish 'em out so hard that he'll turn unwary foes into swiss cheese…!"_

"Hey, Akiko! I saw you with the three-pointer – great job!" Jomei shouted from afar, and his gases began to coat him again. "I'll see you at the finish line, alright?"

Before she could respond, a ball of unbridled fury flew between them, high enough to avoid zero-pointers and every other kind of faux villain alike. The boy in question was screaming bloody murder as he careened past the rest of the robots in pursuit of first place.

_"Oh, and Class 1-A's Bakugo Katsuki is rocketing over the obstacles! With palms that secrete an exploding substance in his sweat, can you blame him? He's like a walking talking weapon of mass destruction, and it looks like he's hellbent on taking the lead!"_

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Jomei shouted. "Good luck, Akiko!"

Just as soon as Jomei ran off with his Quirk to quickly carry him, Sero and Tokoyami joined the fray too. Sero flung himself over the top of a zero-pointer with the tape from his elbows, and Tokokyami's Dark Shadow hefted its owner up over the same obstacle with barely any effort before throwing itself and Tokoyami both into a swift descent. Both of them were on a rapid route leading straight towards the end of the robo inferno.

Sero smiled. "Glad to see 1-A's kicking butt, but I'm still in this too!"

"As am I. Dark Shadow makes any quarry thrown at me foolhardy," Tokoyami countered.

_**"You bet your ass I do!"**_

As they hurtled back towards the ground, and Present Mic spent time announcing their Quirks in turn, Akiko had already returned to running herself. Tokoyami and Sero were just the beginning of the tide of competitors that'd finally steeled themselves to brave the robo inferno, and she wasn't going to waste her time gawking – not when she'd lost some of her lead to the likes of Jomei and Bakugo already. Her classmates may have been hot on her heels, and may eventually threaten to overtake her entirely, but her determination remained as hot as the fires she'd flung forth mere moments ago.

She wasn't going to lose this race.

* * *

As the preliminary event of the Sports Festival raged on, so too did the screams and cheers of the thousands of spectators in the stadium. To some, the thunderous display was painfully audible even through the thin wall of protective glass that separated the announcer's booth from the stadium at large. To others, the cheers and general excitement that bled through the only barrier between them and the adoring public was nothing short of electrifying.

Present Mic was one of the latter parties. Eraserhead was one of the former.

But Present Mic wasn't about to let his stick-in-the-mud friend ruin his day. Not by a long shot. He was going to eat up his position as the announcer of the biggest annual event in Japan and rub Haruto's _face _in it if they ever found themselves together again. For now, though, he'd content himself with basking in the audience's hype – even if he could only do so from within the announcer's booth.

He sighed contentedly. "Man Eraserhead, sure is nice to break up the daily rep of grading papers, huh? Really makes you appreciate the spotlight."

Eraserhead opened his eyes from their half-closed dozing. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say Hizashi."

"Hey! It's Present Mic when we're in costume!"

"And I'll start calling you that when you stop interrupting my naps…"

Present Mic smiled. "Oh, I see… you're just cranky! Well wakey-wakey sleepyhead, because we've got a job to do! And it's totally _illogical _to doze when you're on the clock, am I right…?"

"...what do you want me to do? Looks like you have a handle on things, Mic."

"Well, staying up would be a good start, but…" Present Mic pointed at the distant, massive screens that provided those within the stadium with a live feed of the race. "How about some of those keen observation skills you're known for? Looks like all the pack leaders are from Class 1-A, at least right now, anyway. Think that's because we're just the top-tier when it comes to teaching?"

"Don't inflate your ego, Mic." Eraserhead sat up a little straighter and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "But… don't think that Class 1-B or any of the others are doing poorly, by any means. Their Quirks are just as varied as 1-A's, and the other courses can't be counted out by default, either."

"So why do ya think 1-A's rockin' and rollin' so far?" Present Mic asked, a bit of his typical flare fading from his tone.

"It's that…" He paused and looked closely at the room's myriad of camera angles focused on dozens of students at once. "Class 1-A's learned not to hesitate."

Present Mic followed his friend's line of sight to the booth's many screens. Eraserhead's words couldn't have been more true. Class 1-A wasn't wasting a single second, and it showed.

Iida kicked a one-pointer into a dozen pieces and flipped through the air as if the obstacle wasn't there to begin with.

Jiro ran through two of the same faux villains and jabbed her earphone jacks into her opponents. She let loose a pulse-pounding attack directly into the machines' cores that destroyed them from within and let her continue forward uncontested.

Kaminari leaped on top of one of the machines' hands as it missed an attack and electrocuted it without missing a beat.

"They've seen what the real world is like…"

Kirishima bowled through a faux villain with his Quirk, neck-and-neck with Tetsutetsu, who did the same as his Quirk turned him into solid steel.

"They've felt the fear of facing real villains."

Uraraka released several of the machines with a quiet touch of her fingers and the barely-audible utterance of 'release,' and they crumpled into scrap metal as they crashed back down to earth.

"Yet they fight on, trying to overcome that fear."

Ojiro spun several times through the air before his tail smashed down and totaled a two-pointer.

"They've grown, all of them," Eraserhead continued. "And they know that they need to act quickly and without hesitation if they want to survive."

On-screen, Midoriya grabbed a piece of a fallen zero-pointer and used it to chop a one-pointer's head clean off before running with the thing strapped with wire to his back.

"Of course, they also know that a good strategy can be just as effective as their instincts' telling them to survive. They were put through the wringer barely two weeks into their time here at U.A… and no one can deny that they came out stronger from the experience."

"Man, Eraserhead…" Present Mic began teasingly. "Finally getting soft on me I see!"

"_What?_"

He laughed. "Oh, nothing, nothing! Just comparing you now to when you first got dragged into the whole teaching gig a while back. How things change, am I right?"

"Just- do your job, Mic," Eraserhead huffed.

Present Mic cracked his knuckles. "You got it, pal!"

Another look down at the controls, and he switched the screen straight onto a view dedicated to Yaoyorozu. Her sports uniform's jacket was unzipped and exposed the sports bra beneath, and the pink glow of her abdomen made it clear she had a plan in mind to overcome the zero-pointers still blocking her way.

That, and the big-ass cannon she'd created for the occasion.

Two shots each at two of the titanic faux villains later, and they all started to fall like dominos, rendering the largest threat of the robo inferno little more than a lifeless mass of metal.

"And the floodgates have been opened, folks!" Present Mic announced. "I know it might seem like fanservice coming from Yaoyorozu Momo, but don't sell her short just because she's some buxom brunette! She's got a mind like a steel trap and a Quirk that can create just about anything she wants – no wonder she got in based off recommendations!"

"They'd be better off dodging those zero-pointers most of the time," Aizawa mused as Present Mic lifted his finger from his announcement key. "But Yaoyorozu recognized they're just slow hunks of metal with rudimentary programming that're far too easy to hit and take down so long as you pick your target wisely. A logical decision for a student of her caliber."

"Uh… Eraserhead? You forgot to hit your key to make an announcement."

"I wasn't intending on playing around like you, Mic. I was just thinking…"

"Uh, Shota?"

Eraserhead blinked in response to his name. "What is it?"

"You kinda trailed off there, somethin' happen?" Present Mic asked.

"No, I just… noticed someone."

The radio show host followed his friend's line of sight to another one of their displays. "Oh. That kid? Haven't noticed much about him – hell, I don't know if I even remember what his Quirk was after all the papers we read!"

"That's just it though…" Eraserhead's eyes narrowed again. "Even without knowing what his Quirk is off the top of my head either… I think he's someone I'm going to keep an eye on. You can keep screaming your heart out, or whatever it is you're doing."

Present Mic took one last look at the oddly tired-looking, indigo-haired competitor and shrugged. Whatever Eraserhead saw in him he didn't know, and honestly, he didn't entirely find it necessary _to _know. He had a job to do and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to continue to be the best announcer the Sports Festival had ever had. Even if that meant dragging Eraserhead back into the fray from time to time in the process.

His finger raced towards the controls once more, and he got back to work.

* * *

Jomei rounded a corner with Light Speed and continued to surge forth as fast as his legs could carry him. He may have been ahead of a lot of the competition thanks to how much faster his Quirk let him run, but he wasn't going to be banking on that to assure he'd _stay _in the lead; and, more to the point, he _couldn't._ He was up against dozens of unknown competitors with just as enigmatic Quirks – even ignoring Iida, who was practically _built _for a long-distance race with his engines, even a moment of arrogance could bring what lead he'd built up crashing down in a hurry. With his parents watching and so much potential in his hero career riding on how he did in the Sports Festival, he wouldn't dare make that mistake.

His gases thrummed ever so slightly brighter as Bakugo and Todoroki came back into his line of sight. Both were obscenely fast in their own rights, with Bakugo's explosive propulsion and Todoroki's pre-existing lead and steady pace putting them both snugly in the second and first places of the competition, respectively.

Still, slowly but surely, Light Speed allowed Jomei to creep up on them. In fact, the thought crossed Jomei's mind that he'd end up neck-and-neck with the leading duo, leaving the likes of even the rest of Class 1-A in the dust as he fought for first.

At least, that was what he thought until he saw a helpful, rickety-looking sign with two deep red words painted forebodingly onto it, spelling;

_**THE FALL**_

He considered himself lucky to skid to a stop when he did. As his gaseous shroud flickered and flowed away from him, he took in his newfound surroundings and recognized two things.

One, Bakugo and Todoroki were pulling even further ahead of him and the slight incline he'd been racing along obscured the fact they'd already been fully engaged in the next obstacle long before he'd arrived.

And two, if what laid before him was any indicator, then this obstacle was _very _aptly-named.

Where he'd finally been able to stop skidding forward, the ground simply ceased to exist. Instead, for what looked to be a few hundred meters in front of him, a pit so deep that light failed to reach the bottom took its place. Stone columns of varying sizes stood tall at increasingly long distances from one another as the man-made chasm went on, and the only things connecting those various footholds were just as many strong-looking ropes. Each were secured sternly to their respective islands amidst the abyss, but they were without a doubt meant to be little more than meager bridges for competitors to traverse in any way they saw fit.

Jomei hoped that there was something at the bottom of the obstacle to break peoples' falls if they actually, you know, _failed _the obstacle_._ He knew he wasn't going to be one of those unlucky few, but he certainly hoped U.A. wasn't entirely out of its mind when it came up with this obstacle. It wasn't like everyone had mobility or agility on their side when it came to their Quirks, especially in the non-hero courses.

He started backing up, widening the gap between him and the sheer drop. _'When did they even have the time to build this…? Whatever, you've got two pack leaders to catch up to Jomei, now make it happen.'_

His Quirk flared back to life when he kicked into his sprint, and he fell back on his go-to technique. Light Speed may not have put him too close to Iida's level when his engines had kicked into their highest gears, but it was still more than enough for the plan he'd concocted to overcome The Fall. It was a good thing he wasn't scared of heights.

As he reached the edge of the cliff, Jomei slammed his foot into the ground and _jumped._

He sailed through the air and landed on the first pillar, and immediately ran forward to rebuild his momentum to jump again. Each time he crossed over the columns without issue. However, with Bakugo flying overhead and Todoroki swiftly sliding along the ropes with his ice, it was all but guaranteed that they'd remain in the lead. Still, Jomei continued forward as fast as he could, rebuilding momentum just as quickly as he lost it every time he landed.

_'Ok, good start. Now for the bigger problem…'_

Eventually, Jomei landed on a particularly large column in the center of the vast chasm, and it became clear that he wouldn't be able to leap over the gaps between the rocky islands any longer. He didn't stop moving though. He had accounted for the long distance between columns in the latter half of The Fall the moment he'd jumped into the fray to begin with. Upon hitting the rope segment of the obstacle, while he didn't drop the Quirk-crafted cloak that surrounded him, he did slow down.

Though not by much. Jomei balanced along the length of rope and his haste repeatedly caused him to make mistakes that threatened his stability completely, but his plan continued to mitigate the issue before it could undo him. With his arms outstretched to either side, small bursts of gas righted him whenever his balance was threatened too much to run the risk of trying to correct it normally. This process wasn't as fast as Todoroki nor Bakugo, and it was an ever-so-slight waste of his Quirk, but it was far faster than what others could manage.

More importantly, it kept his lead intact, even as many of the other competitors poured onto the scene of the second obstacle of the race.

_"For those of you that thought the first obstacle was easy…"_ Present Mic began. _"Let's see how you feel about the second one! One wrong move and it's right into the drink! If you want to pass this test you're going to have to get creative! It's… _The Fall!_"_

_'Oh, so he was just waiting for everyone else to get here to announce this… right.'_

Jomei looked behind him as he reached another sanctuary amidst the chasm, and was surprised at how varied the competition's methods of traversing it were. Even compared to his strategy, Shoji outstretching his six arms and literally _gliding _along the gaps between solid ground in the first half was creative. Tsu's strategy was far simpler, but just as effective, with her froglike Quirk enabling her to simply jump across any gaps with almost startling speed. Akiko alternated between using her peridot mode to blow herself forward and simply walking along the ropes, balancing both her usage of both her Quirk and her body in the process.

While it seemed that 1-A and 1-B were by and far leading the charge, the non-hero course students still managed to keep up with them in their own quirky ways. One support course student with pink dreadlocks wound up using some kind of mechanism with wire arrows and hover-boots to speed up her progress, while other inventors among her tested their gear at the same time – to varying degrees of success. Most other competitors just raced onto the obstacle headfirst, as determined as ever to try and make some kind of lead.

A lead that Jomei, having returned to his swift balancing act, wasn't going to let them have. Not if he had anything to say about it.

_"Oh, and by the way, folks! If you're wondering what the deal is with the hot new trends the support course is tinkering up here on the track, don't you worry! So long as they invented it themselves, it's fair game for them to bring onto the battlefield!"_

"Well, that explains that…" Jomei thought.

Then he heard the roar of engines and bursts of compressed air coming closer. Jomei dared to look behind him to see for himself if his suspicions were true, and he found his pace hastening just a little bit further when they were confirmed.

Iida was indeed skidding along a length of rope parallel to his own, and he was going to catch up sooner or later, even if he couldn't kick his engines into high gear without potentially throwing himself off a cliff. He may have looked foolish with his overly-focused expression and the way his legs twitched awkwardly as he maintained his balance, but the fact remained his Quirk was faster than Jomei's Light Speed technique by default.

_'Ok, scratch catching up to Todoroki and Bakugo right now. New priority – make sure you stay ahead of Iida.'_

Jomei looked one last time in Iida's direction, and their eyes met for the briefest of moments. Jerking his head forward again, he noticed the end of The Fall rapidly approaching.

Todoroki and Bakugo were still a few steps ahead of them.

_"Looks like Todoroki's still skating by easily!"_ Present Mic announced as Todoroki hopped off his final length of rope back onto the main track. _"He's putting distance between him and the other competitors stuck at The Fall! It hasn't been enough to count any of the other runners out of the next round though, so there's no time to relax!"_

"Yeah, Present Mic, I get it…" Jomei muttered, and a few moments later, he raced past the end of the second obstacle. He didn't waste a moment as he jumped off his rope, and he quickly returned to the fastest speed his Quirk could carry him.

It wouldn't be enough to outrun Iida.

The class representative caught up to Jomei and his calves' engines roared. "Nishimura! I applaud you for your performance thus far, but I must apologize for what I have to do moving forward. My brother Ingenium might very well be watching, and as such, I cannot afford to give anything short of my absolute best!"

Jomei's gases thrummed a little brighter and his determination grew. "Right back at you! I made some promises to people that are important to me too!"

"Then let us both go beyond! May the most worthy of us prevail!" Iida shouted in response.

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Jomei agreed.

Both competitors focused forward then and continued to gain on the twin pack leaders. The wind whipped past Jomei's ears even over the sounds of his Quirk, and it didn't escape his notice that Iida was gaining a lead on him. At first, it wasn't too insurmountable a distance, but Iida's engines kicked into higher gears that Jomei simply couldn't match and that gap only widened. Even so, Jomei continued to push his legs to their limits just as he had during his training for the Sports Festival.

Midnight's words echoed in the back of his mind.

_"I don't want to restrain anyone, at least not in _this_ game! So as long as you don't leave the course, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!"_

He knew he had an ace up his sleeve. If he wanted to knock Iida out of the running for a spot among the top three of the obstacle race, it'd be as simple as using his Flashbang and catching Iida off-guard. He hadn't mentioned the move to anyone other than Akiko and Tokoyami, so Iida would have no chance to realize what the attack was until it had long since stunned him.

It would give him third place, but... It felt dirty. Iida had pushed himself to his limits to find help during the USJ incident, so using Flashbang on him would just feel _wrong_. Not only that, but the moment he used it on Iida, the fact that it existed would become known. Given the unknown number of events ahead of him, Jomei concluded that pulling out his trump card now was too much of a risk.

Still, he found himself tempted to reconsider his stance with every second that Iida pulled ahead.

With his muscles straining and his mind hesitating on its next decision, a large sign depicting an explosion covered with a pink skull and crossbones came into view. His brain registered the bold text of _**'Danger! Mines!'**_ written on it just as Present Mic's enthusiastic announcing made their triumphant return overhead.

_"And now we're finally approaching the final obstacle. Everyone better tread carefully… _you're entering a minefield! _If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks! Oh, and by the way, those land mines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy, but they're not all that powerful. _Just enough to make you wet your pants!_"_

_"Get ahold of yourself…"_ Aizawa muttered.

Jomei started to form a plan at the same time he took in his surroundings. Iida was still in front of him by a decent margin, but it looked like even though Todoroki and Bakugo were fighting for first place, they were slowing each other down. Behind him, Jomei noted that a few other competitors were coming into view, meaning that there wasn't time to think too hard about what he did next.

Luckily for him, though, he didn't need much time to decide on his plan of action.

Before he even hit the massive minefield, Jomei peppered a salvo of Neon Beams forward. Each one was aimed towards the slightly disturbed ground that marked the locations of buried mines, and each served their purpose perfectly – turning the weaker attack into the perfect makeshift minesweeper needed to get through the final obstacle. So long as he didn't get cocky, it'd even give him a chance to keep up with Iida, who was currently racing through the minefield and just barely outrunning the detonations triggered by his haphazard advance.

For a while, it seemed like that would be the case. Nearby, Iida was repeatedly staggered by the sound and force explosions behind him while Jomei merely needed to slow down a hair to let his Neon Beams outpace him and trigger the mines early. Bakugo and Todoroki continued to duke it out up ahead, which lessened their lead and gave Iida, Jomei, and many of the other participants the chance to catch up. All Jomei had to do was focus and he'd come out on top.

But even his superb strategy wasn't enough to account for other peoples' mistakes.

One hasty misstep on Iida's part and a chain reaction of explosions was set off faster than either of them could react. A pink cloud and a cacophony of concussive sound consumed Iida as he was tossed into the air, and Jomei barely registered what had happened to his competitor before he was sent flying sideways.

_'Damnit…'_

_"And what an upset! With first and second fighting, everyone's catching up too! Can our two leaders stay in front of the competition? Or will the minefield make their petty squabbles moot as competitors get blocked by the blasts?"_

Jomei staggered to his feet and noticed Iida doing the same as the pink cloud around them dissipated. Bakugo and Todoroki had once again firmly claimed their positions far ahead of the pack despite their mutual exchange.

He was about to jump right back into the swing of things when he realized he had no time to look behind him and see how close anyone else was to his position.

Suddenly, an explosion several times stronger than anything he'd previously witnessed was set off far behind him. Midoriya careened by, holding fast to an armor plate from a faux villain at such ludicrous speeds that it made Iida's engines at their maximum output seem lazy by comparison.

_"What's this!? Midoriya's riding the explosions! I can't believe my eyes! Suddenly, Class 1-A's Midoriya Izuku is right in the running for first place!" _Present Mic howled.

Midoriya spun in the air with his scrap metal surfboard as he encroached upon Bakugo and Todoroki's lead, and slammed the thing right back into the minefield the moment he could. In one fell swoop, he renewed his speed with another blast, stunned his opponents, and earned himself a spot in first – all without even a second of hesitation.

"Midoriya!?" Iida gasped.

Jomei's Quirk flared back to life. "Yeah no, not going to question where he got that idea from, but I'm not out of this yet!"

Todoroki hastily formed an icy path as a shortcut to pursue the new pack leader. Bakugo almost completely ignored his former adversary as he launched himself forward to do the same. Iida's engines roared back to life at the same time Jomei entered Light Speed again, and the pair kicked off the ground at almost the same time.

Even left behind, the battle amongst the top five was sure to be anything other than predictable.

Through sheer speed alone, Iida and Jomei circumvented the rest of the minefield as they crossed over the now-crumbling sheet of ice Todoroki had left behind. Again, Iida and Jomei were neck-and-neck as Iida only just started to rebuild his speed from scratch, and again, they both inevitably began to threaten the race leaders' positions as their speed slowly narrowed the gap.

_"Would you look at what we have here?! With the top two tenacious speedsters closing the gap, and the former leading duo in hot pursuit of first place, the battle for top five is far from over, folks! Anything can happen now!" _Present Mic hollered.

Jomei's legs screamed, but he could only think to press them harder. "Come on, come on, come on…"

"As the scion of the Iida family… I cannot afford mediocrity!" Iida shouted to himself, sweat gleaming from his brow.

"Come on back here, _Deku!_" Bakugo roared.

"A clever trick, but will the gamble work…" Todoroki murmured.

_"Eraserhead! Your students have such wit, such tenacity, they aren't even letting up for a second! Just what have you been teaching them!?"_

_"This has nothing to do with me,"_ Aizawa started, yet the words sounded muffled in Jomei's ears. _"Each of them is driven solely by their desire to succeed. What you're seeing right now is their will to win turned into reality. When everything's on the line, what they find themselves able to do can surprise even themselves."_

_"So there you have it, folks! Eraserhead's just a terrible teacher!"_

_"I'm _what_?"_

_"Who could've imagined that the finale of this race would be a nonstop megamix of surprises!"_

Todoroki continued to freeze the ground underfoot when the top five entered the tunnel leading back into the Sports Festival Stadium, only accelerating the rate in which he gained on Midoriya. Bakugo continued to send himself flying in bursts of unrelenting force. Iida and Jomei were less than a meter away from being able to nip at the heels of the three top competitors.

The sound of their actions and the light from Bakugo's and Jomei's Quirks were muffled in the darkness of the tunnel. Jomei raced toward the blinding daylight at the tunnel's end, and in the last few seconds before crossing the threshold, no one knew who'd end up on top.

A second later, they burst forth into the stadium, light and sound crashing around them, born of deafening cheers and the sun's spotlight on the first event's victors.

_"And it's too close to call! We're going to have to rely on a freeze-frame to see how this event's turned out! Going back on the track… zooming and enhancing…!" _Present Mic paused, and the eyes of the top five turned towards the announcer's booth as mere seconds stretched on into eternity. _"First place is _Midoriya Izuku!_ Second is Todoroki Shoto! Coming up in third… Bakugo Katsuki! Fourth! Fifth! Iida Tenya and Nishimura Jomei! What a close climax, and more are still flooding through the gates back into the stadium! A full run-down of the results coming to a Sports Festival Stadium near you!"_

Jomei's and Iida's Quirks both shut down suddenly as the results of their efforts reached them. Jomei fell to the ground, hunched over on one knee as his chest heaved to recover the breath he'd spent pushing his body to its limits.

"All that… and I wind up in fifth place…" he sighed breathlessly.

Iida fell flat on his back beside him. "Nevertheless, Nishimura… I daresay that you and I were giving it our utmost and more, back there. I even thought that I was going to have to use a move I'd planned on only unveiling later in the festival…"

Both of them shifted into sitting positions as they continued to recover. "Yeah… same here."

"Truly?"

"Yeah. I'd ask what yours was, but then I'd have to tell you mine," Jomei smiled slightly. "Give it a little while. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to bust out our best moves later."

"Indeed," Iida agreed. "Though I can say with certainty that we should bear no shame in where we're at now. We might not be in the top three… but we still stand as two of the peak performers among our peers."

Jomei just gave him a thumbs up in response.

Now that his rush of adrenaline was calming, Akiko flashed in his mind. He knew fully well that she could handle the course fine, but he wished Present Mic would announce an update already.

Jomei looked around at the other leaders. Fifth place wasn't the best, but by _far _it wasn't the worst either. Given how Present Mic had presented the final stretch of the race, Jomei would be more surprised if he wasn't noticed by at least a _few _Pro Heroes watching the Sports Festival right now. That knowledge was just enough to console him through the fact that Bakugo had still ended ahead of him.

Of course, looking at his explosive-tempered classmate now, the sheer, unbridled _rage _that was being expressed on his face helped too. Todoroki handled his loss marginally better, merely glaring at Midoriya with an analytical gaze before finally heading off in another direction. Midoriya, meanwhile… well, he was barely holding back a storm of tears as his success sank in, which Jomei was torn between marking as something endearing or infuriating.

_'Mom, Dad… I'm not done yet. Just you guys wait…'_

He turned his attention towards the finish line. Students trickled in every few seconds, some faces more familiar than others, but the rate of their arrival was slow and steady – a stark contrast against the speeds at which they streaked back into the stadium. Surprisingly, Yaoyorozu arrived among one of the _later _waves of competitors. The reason became abundantly clear before Jomei's brow could furrow too deeply.

"H… how could this happen…?" Yaoyorozu huffed heavily.

Mineta laughed giddily from his perch – two sticky balls fixed firmly onto the back of Yaoyorozu's unzipped sports uniform's jacket. His nose was bloody from having obviously been elbowed by his makeshift ride one too many times, but his grin was as plain to see as it was self-congratulating. "Two birds with one stone… I'm a genius…!"

Yaoyorozu took off her jacket and prepared to throw it at the ground.

"Uh-oh- _gah!_"

"You… are the _worst!_" She reprimanded, and a pink glow spread across her stomach as she created a replacement.

Jomei sighed frustratedly. "She isn't wrong…"

He was trying to keep count of the competitors exiting the tunnel, his eyes searching for Akiko when he picked up on someone saying his name far to his left. His head followed the noise soon after. The source? Three business course students, gaudy-as-hell hairstyles and all as they made conversation of their own.

"What of the one in fifth place? Nishimura? Certainly, he has more marketability than Midoriya and even some of the other runner-ups. As we've established, Midoriya may have won first place but his Quirk has yet to be exhibited in the festivities, and his approach to dangerous situations is far less than reliably predicted just yet. Bakugo and Todoroki both express marketable Quirks, but have shown less-than-stellar personality traits from what we've been able to glean from their squabbles."

"Ah, but you're forgetting that such infighting simulates the dog-eat-dog mentality heroes must have in the field in order to gain popularity," another one observed. "In fact, I'd openly argue that Iida has the best hero potential in his hero origin story out of all the first five to finish the race – as we're all no doubt aware, his older brother is Ingenium of Team Itaden, a very successful hero agency."

"It's for that very reason that I agree that Nishimura is the easiest to market out of the top five competitors," a third student intruded. "Team Itaden does indeed have a longstanding legacy and dozens of sidekicks, but it's for this very reason that Iida would suffer, as he'd be forced to compete even harder than anyone to ever distinguish himself as anything other than another hero of his family's line. Nishimura, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be in anyone's shadow, didn't appear too aggressive in regards to his strategic mindset, and he has an _extremely _marketable Quirk."

"Come to think of it, I agree," the second conceded. "There's a _lot _of brand deal potential with him, and not just in the techno music market."

The three continued babbling, and Jomei found himself at a loss. He knew his Quirk was marketable and that he was practically born with the perfect set of skills to make the most of that gift, but the way the business department spoke about him and Iida just made them sound like opportunistic vultures; which, for all intents and purposes, they were. It was far from what Jomei expected from the business department's students, but then again, it wasn't like he himself was all that well-versed in how hero agencies went about their business operations. Just more things that differed in the intricacies of his and his father's career paths, he supposed.

_'Wait… they didn't beat any of us back to the stadium, so… did they not even try? Why're they even here if they aren't going to participate?'_

Present Mic intruded on his thoughts. _"Oh, and by the way, if any of you ravenous sports fans need refreshments, the business department's going to have you covered! Sweet and savory treats brought to you by none other than U.A.'s finest aspiring agents!"_

"Well, that explains that…" Jomei sighed.

A familiar body plopped down on the grass next to him. "What explains what?"

"Akiko!" Jomei jolted. "When did you get back? I didn't see you come into the arena."

It took her a moment to respond as her breaths came under control, a clear indicator of her exertion. "Just a minute ago, actually. But what were you talking to yourself about?"

"Oh, just… the business department. Seeing them in person and how they're just using the Sports Festival as one big opportunity to analyze everything for market value, it's… weird," he answered. "Present Mic just announced they're making themselves useful selling food, or… whatever it is they want to do."

Akiko took a moment to look at the trio of business course students, who were currently on a tangent about Yaoyorozu and the value of sex appeal in hero marketing, before she returned her focus to Jomei. She even shimmied a little closer to his side to obscure herself, which Jomei had to admit was more than a little adorable. Newly determined though she may have been to become self-reliant, some habits still seemed to die hard – or so Jomei assumed since her reaction could've just been chalked up to her recognizing that she was staring at them the same time they noticed her.

Not that it made it any less endearing.

"Yeah… I suppose I could see that. Speaking of Present Mic, though, I heard that you made it into the top five! I'm happy for you!" She smiled.

"Thanks. That means a lot," he returned warmly. "But what about you? How do you think you did?"

"I… think I did pretty good. I know I'm probably not in the top ten, but I'm still happy with how I did. With how I had to juggle my Quirk and staying in front of everyone else, I think the fact that I'm still probably in the top half of the standings is a good sign, especially considering how many unknowns there still are when it comes to everyone else that finished the race, too."

"Right. I guess we'll just see where exactly you ended up when the results come in, then."

Just after that, he let himself fall onto his back on the ground so that he could relax. There'd be more events ahead of him to try and make the most out of his talents, so for now, he could easily content himself with just basking in the presence of Akiko and the sun.

Judging by the muffled crush of the patch of grass beside him, Akiko was of the exact same mindset right now.

* * *

A few minutes had passed since Jomei and Akiko had reunited in the Sports Festival Stadium, and that much time was all it took for the remaining competitors to find their way back to the field. Jomei was somewhat unsurprised when Denki and Kyoka both arrived soon after he and Akiko had let themselves fall onto the grass, but it was nonetheless comforting to hear that they'd made it through the obstacle race among the upper echelons of the dozens of students involved in the event.

Or rather, it was comforting up until Kyoka felt the need to poke them in the temples with her earphone jacks just to 'wake them up,' as she put it.

Nevertheless, the quartet was reunited once again, and it became time for everyone to be rounded back up before Midnight's platform. It seemed that the complete list of competitors that had made it through the first stage of the festival had finally been put together.

"The first game for the first years is finally over, and what a game it was! It certainly had me on the _edge _of my seat!" Midnight announced with a twist of her hair. "Now let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?"

A holographic screen flared back into existence, and both the standings and the faces of the people corresponding to them when they got back into the arena were put on display.

_1st: Midoriya Izuku_

_2nd: Todoroki Shoto_

_3rd: Bakugo Katsuki_

_4th: Iida Tenya_

_5th: Nishimura Jomei_

The list went on, accompanied by flashy music and graphics, but Jomei focused himself solely on looking for where Akiko and his friends had ended up.

_'There!'_

In a blink-and-you'd miss it frame, there she was. Akiko had ended up in 12th place, behind only the physical powerhouses of Class 1-A's that were the likes of Kirishima and Ojiro – and that still put her ahead of the majority of Class 1-B's students. Denki and Kyoka popped up shortly after Yaoyorozu, who'd wound up in 17th, with the former pair placing firmly in the middle of the pack at 24th and 21st out of the top 42, respectively.

It was as the list turned from freeze-frames of the victors as they made their returns back into a bog-standard list of people and faces that it occurred to Jomei that the majority of those that had passed through the first event were all hero course students. Even if Class 1-A did better than most, the majority of the competition who had passed were from Class 1-B – though the only faces he recognized were the likes of Thad, Jean, and Tetsutetsu. The lattermost of the three had ended in 10th, with Thad only three places behind him, and Jean, peculiarly enough, wound up way back in 32nd. The only person _outside _the hero course that Jomei recognized was the pink-haired support course student he'd seen back at The Fall – Hatsume Mei, as the results revealed her name to be, who was in 41st.

At least she wasn't Aoyama, though. He was dead last.

"Well, I guess that's that. It looks like most of the competition's going to be people from the hero courses. Not sure if I should be surprised, but-"

"Shinso made it through!" Akiko blurted out.

Jomei did a double-take. "What?!"

"There! Look!" Akiko pointed.

He looked, and she was right. In 27th place was none other than Shinso Hitoshi, whose picture made him seem almost scarily innocuous given how little anyone seemed to know about him. Akiko was closer to Shinso than anyone Jomei had ever seen him with, and even _she _looked a little surprised to see where he'd placed in the standings. Sure, Shinso had been confident in his declaration of war against Class 1-A, but that didn't explain how he placed so far ahead of people like Jean, who by default must've had more going for them than someone who hadn't made it into the hero course…

Right?

"How the hell did he make it there…?" Jomei wondered.

"I don't know, but I don't see him, so I can't even ask him what happened," Akiko said. "I didn't even see him the entire time during the race!"

"Same here."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see if we can find him later…" Akiko said.

Jomei nodded. Even if it still didn't sit right with him that he knew absolutely nothing about the sole general studies student to make it through the first event, he couldn't concern himself too deeply about what Shinso was up to right now. He'd think about Shinso if and when the time came that he had to.

For now, he had a festival to focus on.

"As you might be able to tell, only the top forty-two will advance to the next round, but don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut… we've prepared plenty of other opportunities for you to shine…" Midnight hummed, a sultry look in her eyes as she licked her lips. "Now the _real _fight is about to begin! The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best!"

Jomei subtly shot Akiko a thumbs up, to which she returned the gesture, albeit in an even more subdued manner. Stage one of the Sports Festival had finally come to a close and all three of Jomei's companions had made it through. He counted that as more than lucky considering the stakes of the event they were all in right now. Looking over at Kyoka and Denki, Jomei noticed the pair appeared to be as determined to succeed as they were before the event even started.

It lit a fire in his stomach all over again.

Midnight cracked her whip, and a new hologram not unlike the one that decided the first event of the festival started to spin all over again. "Now, let's see what we have in store for you next? Will it be your wildest fantasies come to life? The waiting is _torture,_ but prepare yourselves… _for this!_"

Denki grumbled as the new event was revealed. "A cavalry battle…? I'm terrible at those…"

"Oh, _yes!_" Mineta fawned.

"This isn't an individual event, I wonder how they'll split us up?" Tsu wondered as her finger wandered to her lower lip.

"Hopefully not randomly…" Akiko murmured.

"Allow me to explain.," Midnight said. She turned towards the hologram and the image shifted to now display four Pro Heroes – Thirteen, Present Mic, and someone else who was obscured by All Might's massive frame as they all held up the number one hero by his legs between them. "The participants will form teams of two to four people as they see fit. In theory, it's basically the same as a normal playground game, but there is one difference… each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course."

"Oh, I get it, it's another point-based system like the entrance exams… that seems pretty simple," Sato observed.

Uraraka hummed. "So that also means that every team's going to have a different point value based on which people are on it."

Akiko blinked in realization. "But it's also pretty likely that you get to choose who exactly is going to be on your team…"

"Uhuh!" Ashido chirped.

"Wait, wasn't that obvious?" Kyoka asked.

"Maybe you should shut up and let _me _explain things to you!" Midnight interrupted before regaining her composure. "Now then, the point assignments go up by increments of five, starting from the bottom. For example, forty-second place is worth five points, and forty-first is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the contestant in first place is… _ ten million!_"

For a moment, one could have heard a pin drop.

"T.. _t-ten million…?_" Midoriya paled.

And then the eyes of everyone in the field landed solely on the winner of the first stage. In one fell swoop, Midoriya had gone from triumphant victor to a terrified target as the dual meaning behind his point value began to hit everyone. Keeping him safe would mean that those on his team would have an easy ride to victory, and the next stage, but it also meant that his partners had their work cut out for them.

He was both the biggest asset and liability anyone could even think to ally with all bundled into one neat package.

"That's right… its survival of the fittest with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow those at the top!" Midnight cheered.

_'Oh… this should be good.'_

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Huh boy… this chapter was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. The start of this chapter was an absolute blast to write since it gave me another chance to have Akiko actually make good on her potential yet still remain in-character with her via her newfound pledge to become stronger. That said… translating the chaos and smooth timings of the rest of the obstacle race was just one big **_**oof.**_** Not an impossible challenge to overcome, but one that was certainly more tricky than either the beginning or end of this chapter.**

**Speaking of, god **_**damn **_**do I love me some exposition departme- I mean **_**business **_**department students. Gives me a good segue into exploring just a **_**tiny **_**bit of the grander world of MHA's hero society, and a cool interaction or two along the way to boot – namely, my stumbling into Akiko being just a **_**little **_**accidentally shy again. As for the results themselves? Don't ya worry! I have the maths planned out, and honestly, I really did feel that where I placed the pair of OCs makes sense, in the end. I'd explain more, but I don't wanna keep you all reading my already long-winded authors note any longer than I have to. So instead…**

**Stay awesome! See you guys next chapter!**


	22. Unexpected Allies

"Poor Midoriya…" Akiko half-whispered as she looked at the boy in question.

Jomei nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if we're being honest here, this is kind of the worst-case scenario for him. First place may let you steal everyone else's thunder by default, but it also paints a target on your head that no one's going to want to get near in terms of teaming up with you. I'm surprised I didn't realize it sooner…"

"Makes fifth place seem a lot less terrible, huh?"

"Yeah," Jomei conceded.

"First-years! These are the rules you'll abide by!" Midnight's voice rang out and interrupted their conversation. The hologram behind her flickered to display the heroes' point values. "The game itself will last fifteen minutes! Individual point values will be added together to reach your team totals! Everyone will know how much you're worth at a glance to the headbands each team's rider will be given. Swipe as many as you can to raise your team's score! And don't worry, they're made of velcro, and taken off easily!" Once more, the screen shifted to show All Might as he became increasingly encumbered by headbands. "Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. Thus, the more you steal the harder it will be for you to manage them. And another thing – even if yours gets stolen or your team falls down, you can keep playing until time's up!"

"It's anyone's game, then," Yaoyorozu observed thoughtfully.

"And since there are 42 contestants that means there'll be ten to twelve teams all fighting on the field the entire time," Kyoka added.

Denki groaned. "Ugh, that sounds hard."

"But, wait, if you lose your headband at the beginning, that means you have more time to come up with a plan, right?" Ashido asked.

"I don't know, Mina," Tsu said uncertainly. "We should probably wait to see how the teams turn out before we start strategizing."

"This is going to be rough," Midnight continued. "Just like the first event, you may use your Quirks as much as you like, but there are still rules. Make a team fall on purpose and I'll _slap _you with a red card! You'll be disqualified! You've got fifteen minutes to build your teams. I recommend you get started!"

A timer replaced the image that came before it, and the fifteen minutes began.

_'Welp, I know who I'm starting with…' _Jomei thought.

He turned to Akiko.

She smiled. "I was thinking the same thing. I'm in."

"You sure your Quirk doesn't have telepathy mixed in there?" he joked.

Her smile expanded into a grin.

"Well, that settles that," Jomei said. "But now… which one of us should be the rider?"

"I don't think it matters too much, for now," Akiko said. "We're both good options for riders because of our Quirks."

"You're right. Now we have to decide who our other teammates are going to be…"

He and Akiko looked out into the murmuring crowd. Everyone that had made it past the first stage seemed to be embroiled in some form of conversation or another, which right off the bat lowered their chances of having their as-of-yet undecided first pick for a teammate. Jomei caught a glimpse of the signature lightning bolt-shaped highlight within Denki's hair and for a moment, he felt hope that he'd have another friend on his side for the upcoming event. It was quickly obvious that Denki was in the middle of collaborating with Todoroki though, who in turn appeared to be displaying some actual interest in having the Electrification user on his team.

"Okay, so Denki's a no-go," Jomei mentioned. "See Kyoka anywhere?"

"Right behind you."

Akiko was the first to turn around. "Does this mean you want to be part of our team? I'm sure that your Quirk could be really useful! Maybe as a mid-range stun or a way for us to hear what the other teams are planning during the battle thanks to your-"

Kyoka raised a finger, silencing her. "Listen, guys, I appreciate you hyping me up and all, but I came here to tell you I'm _not_ going to join your team."

"What? Why?" Jomei asked. "It's important to team up with people you know you'll be able to get along and work well with. We fit the bill, don't we?"

"You do. I know you guys are good, but I already have a few ideas of my own about the team I want to rock with, for now. Just wanted to let you guys know – whatever comes next, you're safe from my team." She gave a lazy thumbs up and turned around. "Good luck anyway, though."

And just like that, she was off, headed towards her presumably already-assembled team of Sato, Koda, and Hagakure.

The lattermost of which was currently stripping off every bit of her clothing from the waist up in a clear attempt at preparing to use her Quirk to her advantage. Somehow, watching one of his peers casually ending up naked whenever they needed to make the most of their Quirk was just something Jomei knew he'd never get used to.

Especially when his girlfriend was standing right next to him.

Jomei sighed and scratched the back of his head. "So much for that plan… but we still need more teammates."

"Mhm," Akiko agreed. "I know you're probably strong enough to carry me if you have to-"

"Flattering," Jomei interjected.

"_But,_" she continued, "More people means a bigger point total to start with, which in of itself makes you more likely to end up in a good spot at the end of the cavalry battle. Not only that, but you get a greater variety of Quirks to work with. The more Quirks a team has on their side, the more kinds of strategies they can come up with and use without needing to worry about if their team _can _do what they need them to do."

"Which makes your team all the more likely to make it into the next round when everything's said and done," another voice offered. "There's still an open spot on your team, I take it?"

The pair whirled around once again. With the newcomer was Aoyama, who stood unusually silent and still aside from the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. His eyes were strangely vacant and empty, but Jomei wasn't sure if that was merely his imagination playing tricks on him. In all honesty, though, he didn't have to spare for Aoyama, and neither he nor Akiko could blurt out their reaction faster than the other at the sight of the other boy's familiar tired eyes and indigo hair.

"_Shinso!?_"

* * *

Snipe took another long drink of his water before lowering his gas mask again. Plenty of Pro Heroes had been called in to keep the peace during the largest annual sporting event in Japan, but that didn't mean they didn't get downtime at some point. Being a pro may have been an unusual career, but it was still a job. Patrolling the perimeter of the Sports Festival Stadium for the entirety of its three days of activity counted as just one of the more mundane things a pro could wind up doing during their careers.

Which was why he found himself in the festival's well-stocked break room where a wide variety of Pro Heroes with a just-as-wide variety of levels of experience lounged at tables scattered throughout the room. Some were seasoned veterans of their chosen professions, some had only recently found their footing, and still some others had only just made their debuts as true pros.

Snipe grabbed a chair at random, his gun holster smacking against the furniture's plastic back as he lowered himself into the seat. Around the table he had chosen, the hero split was more or less fifty-fifty between the old veterans and relatively new additions to the hero scene.

Of course, at 38 years old, Snipe counted himself as seasoned, but Death Arms – who sat opposite him – certainly fit the bill, too. Well over two meters tall and built like an absolute tank, Death Arms had weathered well over a dozen times the number of incidents either of the two newbies nearby had dealt with.

"You know, the Sports Festival isn't really about seeing how prepared these kids are to be heroes," Death Arms was saying to Mt. Lady, his large yellow and black-striped wrist guards knocking loudly against the table-top. "It's more about simulating the competition they'll face if they ever go pro."

Snipe eyed his long-time comrade. His costume hadn't changed much in all the years Snipe had known him. He still wore the same belt with that yellow and black caution pattern, still had that same cyan cardigan that wasn't large enough to cover his lower torso, and though Snipe couldn't see them below the table at the moment, he knew without needing to check that Death Arms still wore those same dark blue baggy pants and plain black shoes.

Really, the only non-original part of the costume was that now-iconic caution-patterned metal headband. One overconfident run-in with a knife-based Quirk-wielding villain and one large scar across his forehead later, and Death Arms had modified his costume to protect what he saw as a weak spot. His wrist-guards might have held a similar story in their origins, but Snipe wasn't inclined to pry as to the details.

But Death Arms' costume – and to some extent, his own – reflected their respective years of experience. Just as that headband spoke of a brush with death, Snipe's well-worn red cloak hinted at the hundreds of high-octane battles he'd been involved in.

"What are you talking about?" Mt. Lady asked. As per usual, she was busy brushing her hair, and Snipe wondered how much of that habit was vanity as opposed to practicality, considering how much of her career consisted of brand deals brought about by her looks. Not even the skin-tight purple and tan bodysuit she wore nor the bright purple and orange gloves that extended down to her elbows could hope to distract much from those blonde locks.

"Think about it – we all know Japan's overrun with hero agencies right now, right?" Death Arms explained, waving his cigarette around before taking a drag. "If you wanna put food on the table you need to be willing to step on other heroes. That was the whole point of the first round."

As he exhaled, a cloud of smoke billowed in his and Mt. Lady's direction, and Snipe considered himself lucky to have included a gas mask in his costume.

"That's such a sad way of looking at our jobs…" Mt. Lady protested, holding a hand over her mouth and nose as the smoke drew close.

Kamui Woods, the other newbie who shared their table, half-scoffed. "Seriously? You've never had a problem stealing the spotlight. During my hero debut, when I was facing that giant villain – I had the situation completely under control, and then you flew in and swept the floor out from under me. Thank goodness it wasn't literally…"

Snipe's attention wandered. Kamui Woods' costume could be described with one word – wood. Wood mask, wood belt, wood boots, wood knee-pads, and wood skin belonging to the wood-wielding Quirk user. The only things that _weren't _made of wood were his dark blue bodysuit, the golden-colored plates and bolts that held his helmet together, and the small rose veil that hung off the left side of his belt. If nothing else, the man had a long career ahead of him as an ecological rights activist when he wasn't busy with hero work.

Their costumes weren't anything to sneeze at, sure, but Snipe was a firm believer in the idea that costumes told tales – even if he didn't know who Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady were, his sharp eyes would've told him how new they were to the whole hero gig. In the very real present, though, his eyes _also _told him that the pair possessed a great deal of potential, while his years of experience reminded him that not all costumes needed some elaborate updates to tell their wearers' stories. To this end, the likes of Eraserhead, Thirteen, and his own close companion came to mind.

For a moment, Snipe wondered what she was up to right about now. Probably watching the Sports Festival and either admiring or admonishing the up-and-coming first-years as the festivities went on. Unprepared or unwilling to become a teacher as she was at present, Snipe didn't need his keen talents in observation to know she'd take a liking to at least one or two of the students who had made it through to the third stage.

"What do you think, Snipe?"

Death Arms' question pulled Snipe's attention back to the table. Thinking back to the last thing he'd heard, he shrugged. "Well, that's just the world we live in nowadays. On the other hand, even if you are battlin' for popularity, there are plenty of times you have to work together."

"Huh… just like the cavalry battle. Every point you score isn't just for yourself, but for your teammates as well," Mt. Lady said.

"Plus you have to consider how your Quirks work together, and who you're compatible with. It's just like any mission you take on in the streets and wind up running into other heroes already at the scene," Snipe added.

"Exactly. I'd even argue that it's just like choosing a sidekick, or training your Quirk with other agencies." Kamui Woods went to take a sip of his water, but it bounced off his mask with a wooden _thunk. _He sighed and undid the front portion of it to gain access to his drink.

Snipe chuckled. "I feel ya there, partner…"

"Woods is right, though," Death Arms said with another smoky exhale. "Anyways, I'm sure some of these kids must be thinking about this. If they go pro it'll be their way of life."

"They still have a long road ahead of them…" Mt. Lady said.

"Yep, these first-years are just getting started when it comes to figuring out what it means to be a pro, even if they don't realize it yet." Death Arms turned his attention to Snipe. "But hey, Snipe – you work at U.A., right? Got any favorites out in the crowd back there?"

Beneath his mask, Snipe raised a brow. "Why do ya ask?"

Death Arms shrugged. "I'm lookin' for an intern. It's been too long since I've had one and I want to get my reputation back up in case I want to take more on some time. My agency's still got room to grow, and all that."

"Come to think of it, I should probably do some scouting too… an intern could help out with some chores and desk-duty back at my agency…" Mt. Lady pondered aloud. "So I'm in the same boat as Death Arms, then. Got any recommendations?"

He lifted his gas mask to take a strategically stalling sip of his water and took a moment to ponder the question before he arrived at his honest answer. "Not a one."

"What?" Kamui Woods confusedly asked. "U.A. is the top hero program in the country, so you must have seen some students of note in between the two hero course classes, right?"

"I'm not sayin' that I haven't seen talent in 1-A or 1-B – quite the opposite, actually," Snipe answered. "Every one of those kids have potential by the bucketload, so going ahead and choosing which one of them should get to intern under any one of you someday just ain't my place. I'm more of a staff member than an all-out teacher at U.A. anyway, so you'd probably be better off picking one of the kids down there yourselves."

"So what you're saying is that we should keep our eyes out and make a choice for ourselves," Death Arms said.

"I suppose you can't go wrong with any U.A. student you pick," Woods added. "I guess we'll just have to try and scout someone out whenever we have a chance to peek at what's going on. So many to choose from though…"

"Consider it a training exercise in multitasking, then," Snipe suggested.

Mt. Lady sighed and ended up draping herself lazily against the table. "And here I thought we were done with school…"

"Give it a few more years," Death Arms comforted. His expression relaxed into a grin as he continued. "Maybe then you'll learn how to sell yourself based off your skills and not just shampoo brand-deals."

"_Hey!_"

* * *

Out of all the people Akiko could have imagined sneaking up on her in the middle of the planning stage, Shinso was probably at the bottom of the list. He hadn't spoken to her since just after Aizawa revealed the Sports Festival was on its way, and now here he was, appearing out of nowhere at the drop of a hat. She guessed that he'd sought her out to join her team, since they knew one another, but the way he seemed to be able to get around the arena without anyone noticing was just downright unsettling.

"When did you get here?" she asked.

"Same time you did," Shinso shrugged. "I guess I should say hello – it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Y-yeah…" Akiko managed. "I saw that you made it through to the second stage of the festival… I mean, that was obvious, but… congratulations. I didn't expect to see you up there – not that I was surprised that you _did _manage to get up there, but-"

"Takara, we're just wasting time here," Shinso said wearily. "I want to join your team. You guys still have room or not?"

Akiko blinked and refocused herself. She then nodded. "We do. But what makes you want to join up with us, anyway?"

"I figured that was kind of obvious. I think you're a good bet for a teammate in the cavalry battle because I know what your Quirk can do, if only in a few ways. Not only that, but you made it in a decent enough spot too," Shinso explained. "_And _you aren't an irredeemable asshole like most of the students in the hero course, so there's that."

"Uh… I'm _right here,_" Jomei stressed.

Shinso only glanced at him for a moment. "Except him, I guess. Who is he, again? I've seen him in the halls with you, but I don't think we ever really met."

Akiko straightened suddenly as it occurred to her that this was the first time _she _would be the one to introduce her other half to someone else, and not the other way around. "Oh, this is Nishimura Jomei! He's my… boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend," Jomei confirmed.

"Yeah, that," Akiko sheepishly said as she touched her fingers together.

"Oh, so you two are dating?" Shinso's eyes didn't betray even a hint of a reaction. "That's cool, I guess. I assume you already know who _I _am, though, seeing as you blurted out my name a few seconds ago."

Jomei nodded. "Yeah. Shinso Hitoshi. Still doesn't explain why you think you should join our team, though."

"Because I _know _that I'd be a good choice," Shinso said matter-of-factly, though his body language remained utterly detached. "Takara knows me, you know me now, and I'm not exactly the weakest person in the general department. I got through the obstacle race, after all."

"It's true, you did get this far, but…" Akiko trailed off. Over Shinso's shoulder, she finally registered Aoyama's presence, and more importantly, she noticed his empty expression. For someone as eccentric as Aoyama to have remained quiet this whole time as he must've followed Shinso around… it felt highly suspect. She looked back at Shinso. "Hey, I don't want to be rude, but how'd you get Aoyama to follow you? He has the biggest opinion of himself aside from Bakugo in Class 1-A."

Shinso's head pivoted towards Aoyama for a moment before returning his focus to Akiko. He paused, and his eyes narrowed slightly before he responded. "You're my friend, right?"

_'His friend? Why's he bringing that up…?'_

She nodded. "Yes, of course. I mean, we don't talk all that much but I'd still consider us friends… as long as you do too, anyway."

"Good," Shinso intoned. "Can we talk in private, then?"

Akiko blinked in mild surprise. _'Talk in private?'_

"Why?" she asked, knowing her tone betrayed her suspicion.

An unamused smile twitched the corners of his lips. "If you're worried about this being potential sabotage, don't be. It's so that I can tell you how I got this loudmouth to shut up without anyone listening in on our conversation."

Akiko glanced at Jomei before she turned back. "Well, anything you tell me, you'll have to reveal right here. If you want to work with us, you have to trust us. _Both _of us."

For a moment, Akiko was certain from his brief change of expression that Shinso was about to walk away. He turned his examining gaze onto Jomei, and she could almost feel her partner squirm in discomfort. Shinso's expression finally fell to resignation as he looked back at her.

"Fine. I suppose I have no choice." He fell silent then, and a few long moments passed before he finally spoke again. "It's because of my Quirk – Brainwashing."

Jomei's eyes widened. "Wait, whoa, what? So you just literally brainwashed Aoyama to make him shut up? How'd you do that?"

"If you would've given me a moment, I was going to explain," Shinso said, a hint of annoyance temporarily breaking his composure. "My Quirk isn't as cut-and-dry as you'd think, but it isn't too hard to understand the basics either. If I focus on a target and ask them a question _and they respond, _I can use my Quirk on them. They remain conscious, albeit only barely, but their body is mine to command so long as the orders aren't too complex. I can't activate my Quirk on multiple people at once, since that's beyond its capabilities, but I can control multiple people if I brainwash them one at a time. Artificial changes to my voice will make it lose the effect to trigger my Quirk, so megaphones or other gadgets that could help me mimic other peoples' voices are essentially useless to me."

Akiko's expression fell a little. Even without seeing his Quirk in action, this explained a _lot _about what she knew about Shinso. His Quirk was by and large less flashy than anyone else's in the hero course, sure, but more importantly, it sounded like it wouldn't be something that'd work on anything that wasn't sentient, or rather, _alive._ It perfectly explained why he completely failed the practical portion of the entrance exams, too – it wasn't that he wasn't _trying _to take down the faux villains back then... it was that he _couldn't._

The cards had been stacked against him since the start.

"...that's what you meant when you said it wasn't flashy, wasn't it?" Akiko asked. "After the end of the practical exam, when I found you."

Shinso shifted his eyes away. "Yeah."

"Guess it explains how you made it through the obstacle race…" Jomei mentioned. "You could've just brainwashed anyone you wanted to give you an advantage, and no one would even notice."

"Basically summed up my strategy there, Nishimura," Shinso said. "I've only used it on a handful of people so that they could carry me through to the next round, and none of _them _are here to blab and talk about what my Quirk is to everyone. I only used my Quirk on this guy here to get him to stop bothering me and that one monkey in your class… but that was only to get him off my back when he thought I was up to something during the first stage."

"Credit where credit's due, Ojiro isn't stupid…"

"Never said the hero course was. Just that most of you have egos the size of the sun," Shinso responded flatly. "But Takara? I told you two about my Quirk because I trust you not to go out and tell everyone about it. Am I wrong?"

Akiko quickly shook her head. "No! I promise that Jomei and I will keep it a secret. Right?"

Jomei nodded. "Yeah. My lips are sealed, but uh… could you un-brainwash Aoyama? I get why you had to use it during the obstacle race but the whole 'dead eyes' look your Quirk is giving him right now is just creeping me out."

Shinso's only response was to turn in Aoyama's direction and snap his fingers.

Aoyama jolted out of his stupor instantly. Color and expression returned to his face, and he quickly looked around in a daze, clearly confused as to where he was or how he got there in the first place. He'd be back to his normal self in no time though – general egotist and attention-hog though he may be, he was more than capable of improvising to save face.

For better or for worse.

"Aoyama? Are you okay…?" Akiko asked.

Aoyama blinked twice. "_Moi? _Why but of course! I suppose that someone as dazzling as I being so thoroughly entranced by a stranger could be a cause for concern, but there is no time to dwell on such things!" He finished with dramatic flair and focused an almost flirtatious look in Shinso's direction. "Rest assured, mes amies, I'll be sure to keep this one's étonnant charm a secret, so long as I can ask of the three of you something in return, of course…"

"My name's Shinso, and I'm not your-"

"You want to join our team," Jomei deadpanned.

Aoyama faked a gasp. "Why what a marvelous idea! I always knew you were smart enough to compare to the likes of me, don't you know-"

As Aoyama vigorously shook Jomei's hand and continued his earnest and intense praise, Shinso and Akiko were left as mere onlookers. Poor Jomei could only try to hold on for dear life as Aoyama practically shook his entire body, but Akiko wasn't about to interfere. It may have been _kind of _selfish, but she wasn't about to run the risk of becoming the next recipient of Aoyama's attention anytime soon.

Shinso sighed. "Please tell me that not _everyone _in the hero course is as much of a maniac as this guy is…"

"Don't worry, a lot of my classmates are good people. Aoyama's just…"

"Insane?"

Akiko suppressed a smile. "I was going to say unique."

"Sure." Shinso looked more clearly at her now. "I know it goes without saying, but I'm on your team now, right Takara?"

"You are," she confirmed. She hesitated for a moment, and her lip twitched upward. "But call me Akiko moving forward."

For the first time, Shinso looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"

"Well, we're supposed to be friends, right? I just thought that I'd let you call me by my name to make sure you knew that."

Shinso blew air out of his nose, not smiling, but clearly not unhappy either. "Sure. Akiko." He said it slowly, as if trying it out. "But I guess it'd be foolish of me not to return the favor, so you can call me Hitoshi from now on."

"Sounds good… Hitoshi." Akiko smiled.

And with that, for the first time, Akiko felt like she'd finally made a friend all on her own.

"Uh, a little help here!?" Jomei unsteadily croaked from beside her.

"Right!" Akiko quickly said through her laughter. "Aoyama? We should probably get to planning for the cavalry battle before we run out of time."

Aoyama practically sent Jomei flying when he released his grip. "Another stunningly apt suggestion! I'm beginning to suspect there really _is _chemistry between you two…"

Jomei held his head dizzily and began to straighten his hair. "It's not like we're keeping our relationship a secret, Aoyama… is your head seriously that far up your-"

"Mon amie, we really should begin strategizing," Aoyama winked. "Or shall we whittle away what precious time we have left?"

"Do you want to stay on this team?"

Aoyama fell silent.

The group of four then came closer, not quite huddling, but still close enough that no one without an explicit goal to eavesdrop and a Quirk capable of doing so would be able to listen in on them. Shinso hummed and put a hand on his chin for a moment before he opened up the conversation.

"Alright. Together, the four of us have 430 points in total. That'll probably put us in the middle of the standings right from the start," he stated. "It'll make us targets, but there's going to be far higher-priority teams for everyone else to be gunning for."

"That's both a good and a bad thing," Jomei mentioned. "It buys us a chance to take the initiative before someone else seeks us out, sure, but it also means that we're fighting an uphill battle. The top cavalry teams just need to make sure they stay on top, while we have to try to either dethrone them or get enough of the other teams' headbands to take their place."

"Still, this équipe of ours needs a rider before we decide on a concrete strategy, non?" Aoyama proposed. "I suggest myself! I'll take on that burden willingly, for all our sakes."

"I say we'd be better off choosing me or Akiko, though," Jomei said. "Our Quirks are good for a _lot _of things in any situation. No offense, but you get a stomach ache whenever you use yours for more than a second, _and _you'd probably send yourself flying before you got any good hits in on the other teams."

"Agreed. Didn't know about that one-second limit though – it explains why he got last place, if nothing else." Shinso ignored the comedically childish pout Aoyama sent his way. "But what about your mobility? That'll probably decide who our rider is, since a cavalry team is only as good as how quickly it can get in and out of range of the other teams."

"Jomei and I both have some ways to boost our speed when it comes to our Quirks," Akiko explained. "You've probably seen some of mine between the practical exams and the obstacle race, but Jomei can maintain his Light Speed technique pretty easily. My mobility usually comes in bursts, and isn't really meant for people other than myself to be carried along with it, which means that I'd probably be more effective where I can focus more on offense with my Quirk than boosting our speed and maneuverability."

"Then it's decided. Akiko will be our rider," Shinso affirmed. "Unless you want to tell me any reason why you shouldn't be."

"No, I agree!" Akiko said. "I'll be able to focus on using my Quirk more tactically without hurting myself in the process."

"Which makes me wonder what the details of your Quirk are – I get the feeling that I'm the only one who doesn't know, and I think I should if you're going to be our rider."

"My Quirk is Crystal Core. It's, well, the crystal core in my chest." She tapped on the stone for emphasis. "Long story short, it lets me control fire, earth, water, and air, but if I go too far with it my core can break, and using my Quirk becomes extremely risky."

"Is that all? Four modes, and the risk of recoil?" Shinso asked.

Jomei and Akiko shared a look. Jomei shrugged noncommittally, and Akiko looked thoughtful for a moment before her gaze turned more firmly towards Shinso, who awaited her response. Whether he was confused at their gesture or not was hidden beneath his stoic exterior, but Aoyama's face showed that he was thoroughly confused.

"Yeah," Akiko finally answered. "That's all there is to it."

Shinso nodded. "Fair enough. Now we need to decide how our three horses are going to be arranged."

"That's easy enough," Jomei said. "Aoyama and I should be the back horses while you take the front – if we ever get into a pinch then we can kick our Quirks into gear and get us out of danger in a hurry. It'd only be in a burst of speed because of Aoyama's time limit using his Quirk, but it'd be enough."

"Or we could use the boost as a quick way of getting _into _a fight. Take the other teams by surprise…" Shinso murmured.

"Bingo. What about you Akiko? Feeling okay about being the rider?" Jomei asked. "A lot of eyes are going to be on you, you know?"

Akiko nodded firmly. "I think I'll be okay. I was fine during the obstacle course because there were so many other students for people to be watching other than me, and there was so much going on that I didn't have _time _to worry about people noticing me. For your guys' sakes, even if there'll be more of a chance that I'll be noticed and mentioned more by Present Mic, I can't afford to slip up now. Besides, I'm sure that not all eyes are going to be _just _on us, since there's Midoriya and his ten million points to pay attention to."

"Sounds like the same reasoning you had at our battle trial."

"Is it bad that it still applies here?"

"Not at all. If it works, it works."

"But speaking of that dashing Midoriya…" Aoyama said. "What should be our approach in this battle for his headband? Full-frontal assault, or something more subtle?"

"That's just it, though," Akiko thought aloud. "Sure, attacking one of the higher-ranked teams or Midoriya's would be a good way to get us into the top scores, but it also puts the biggest risk on _our _headband since we'll be in the middle of all those other teams. Not only that, but everyone's going to be after the ten million points."

"So what's your suggestion?" Shinso asked. "Even if we don't get the ten million, we can still get to the next stage, but we need points to do that."

"I do have a plan, but… it's risky."

"Well we're all ears," Jomei encouraged.

"Hitoshi's right. We need a lot of points if we want to end up getting into the next round, but targeting our classmates or Midoriya isn't what I think we should do. Everyone will be going for him, like I said, but everyone in Class 1-A knows what our Quirks are aside from Hitoshi's," she tilted her head in his direction for a moment. "That's why I say that we gun for Class 1-B's teams. They won't know the ins and outs of our Quirks, so they probably won't be able to figure out how to counter us before we steal their headbands."

"But wouldn't the inverse also be true?" Shinso countered. "I was towards the back of the people who passed the first stage, and even I don't know what those hero course students' Quirks are capable of doing. They were careful not to show off too much."

"It's like I said – my plan's double-edged, but it's the best one I could come up with on such short notice."

"Well I think it could work," Jomei said thoughtfully. "Slow and steady wins the race, after all. Besides, even if something goes wrong, we can still count on me and Aoyama to blast us out of trouble before our headband can be taken."

"_Oui!_ You can count on it!"

Shinso nodded at them. "We still have a trump card if we need it though… my Quirk. All I'd need to do is use it on the other teams at the last minute and we'd be able to get into the top four if our first plan fails. There wouldn't be enough time for the other teams to even notice how many points we'd racked up, and we'd get to the next stage without anyone being the wiser as to what my Quirk even is."

"Other than Ojiro," Jomei reminded.

"That's just a risk I had to take to get him off my case. If he's figured out what my Quirk can do… I'll deal with that problem if and when I get to it."

Akiko hummed. "I'll keep your Quirk in mind, Hitoshi, but I want to keep that plan of yours as our team's last resort. The less we use your Quirk, the less of a chance there'll be for anyone in the other teams that make it to the third stage as well to see what your power does, right?"

"Right. I'll hold you to it, Akiko. If things get down to the wire, though, I won't hesitate to make sure we rank high enough get into the third round," he warned.

"I understand."

"Guys?" Jomei cut in. "Looks like we're just about out of time."

Over where Midnight still stood, the timer was just about finished. One minute remained, and Shinso, Akiko, and Aoyama all took note. They looked around the dirt portion of the arena, where all of the now-formed teams were preparing for the cavalry battle in earnest. Three teams stood out above the rest, led by the trio of students that had finished before anyone else.

Midoriya stood collaborating between Tokoyami, Uraraka, and Hatsume, the lattermost of which appeared to be preparing a wide variety of gadgets for her teammates to take advantage of during the event to come.

Todoroki's team consisted of Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Denki. Even though Denki was the odd-ball out amongst the three in terms of intellect, the pedigree, range of abilities, and sheer power their team possessed between the four of them was undeniable.

Bakugo, meanwhile, looked like he was more than ready to get started. Between Kirishima, Ashido, and Sero, the sentiment was shared, with all of them grinning confidently at the fact they had perhaps the greatest one-on-one fighter in Class 1-A on their side.

Every other team, composed from either of the two hero course classes, appeared to be just as fired up. If the spirit of competition was a metaphorical flame, then the intense determination everyone in the field gave off now would've long since turned into an inferno. Class 1-B in particular appeared ready to take on the world if it meant they'd be able to beat their 1-A counterparts. Ever the unknown underdogs.

_'Taking on Class 1-B… that's over twenty unknown Quirks and almost just as many people I don't even know that we're going to have to fight…' _Akiko thought. Somehow, though, she knew her team would succeed.

She refused to believe in any other outcome.

The horn roared through the stadium, and the time for strategizing came to an end.

"Oh, goodie, looks like it's time to get this party started!" Midnight declared as she stretched her arms. "Take it away, Present Mic!"

_"You got it Midnight! After fifteen minutes to pick teammates and talk strategy, our teams are ready to go head-to-head in the cavalry battle! With almost two whole hero courses and two odd-balls from the support and general departments thrown into the fray, what madness can we expect to ensue?! Looks like you won't have to wait much longer, sports fans, because right now all we have to do is get our teams their headbands and we can get this party started!" _

The loudspeaker cut off as Present Mic took a dramatic pause, his voice exploding across the arena when he finally continued. _"Riders! Take your positions! It's time for the second event!"_

* * *

After all the riders received their headbands through Midnight and rejoined their teammates, each of the groups took their places around the perimeter of the outlined dirt section in the arena. Not too long after that, the teams had evenly dispersed, and the crowd's cheers grew by dozens of decibels thanks to Present Mic's hype.

It was at this point that Akiko was hoisted up between her three teammates. Jomei and Aoyama took to her left and right legs respectively, and their arms both supported her feet and served as her saddle when put together. Their hands not occupied underneath her shoes secured themselves upon Shinso's shoulders, whose own hands held onto Akiko's feet as well to secure their team's formation.

_"Yeaahhhhhh, looks like we're ready to go! Now come on everyone, get your hands in the air, because it's time for another U.A. battle royale!" _Present Mic said. _"Let me hear you scream!"_

The excited cries of the spectators grew louder, and Akiko secured her team's headband around her forehead as Shinso idly rolled his neck before the event began. 430 points was printed upon the white fabric in bold red font, and as she put it on, Team Takara was officially formed.

"Okay!" Akiko shouted. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes," Shinso returned.

"Jomei?"

"Born ready!"

"Aoyama?"

"Do you really need to ask, cherie?"

"Ok, then let's do this!"

_'Come on Akiko, no room for nerves, just focus and win this! Keep this up and you'll be even closer to becoming the hero you've always wanted to be, no matter what Mom and Dad or anyone else says!'_

_"Okay, first-years! I hope you're happy with your chosen teams!" _Present Mic called. _"Let's get this party started! One final countdown before the game starts! Three…!"_

Shinso's grip tightened.

_"Two…!"_

Jomei smiled, and gases gathered around him.

_"One…!"_

Aoyama winked at a distant camera.

"_Begin!_" Midnight ordered, and with a crack of her whip, dozens of feet sprung into action all at once.

As expected, nearly every team ran straight for Team Midoriya and his ten million points. For a handful of seconds, Midoriya seemed to freeze with the conjoined force of so many people charging straight at him, but then a small trigger appeared in his hand. As the first teams closed the gap into dangerously close proximity to him, his thumb came down on the button. The metallic device connected to the trigger roared as it revealed itself to be a jetpack, and his team rocketed well beyond anyone's reach.

Kyoka reached out with her Quirk to snag the headband, but Dark Shadow sprung to life and knocked her thin appendages aside as though they were flies.

Hatsume's inventions had bought them an out. They were slowly descending back down to the ground as the hover boots Uraraka wore sprung to life, and they'd be back in the hot box again soon, but there was no denying their strategy was a sound one.

Not that Akiko was going to waste the cavalry battle paying attention to them.

"Keep going! We're almost in range to intercept one of the 1-B teams!" She said.

"Then we have our target," Shinso returned. "Team Kodai, dead ahead!"

The team of four possessed only one face Akiko knew by heart. Jean ran forward as one of the rear horses towards another 1-A team, still unaware of the danger approaching them. Beside her was Fukidashi Manga, who was around the same height as her, and the lead horse in front of both of them was none other than the goliath of a student, Bondo Kojiro. Their rider was, obviously, Kodai Yui.

But Akiko wasn't going to pay any attention to their looks. Just what they did, and how she could get their 220 points. It wouldn't be much, but it'd be enough to get her team started.

"Alright!" Akiko's features shifted to peridot yellow as she engaged one of her Quirk's modes. "Jomei! I'll reel in the headband, you just need to blast it off before they know what hit them!"

"You got it!"

Akiko stood, relying on her other two teammates to keep her secure as she freed one of Jomei's arms for his attack. He grinned as he raised a now-free hand, took a moment to line up his shot, and let a Neon Beam burst into the air. Kodai would lose her headband, and that would be that.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Jean turned her head at the last second. "Uh, Fukidashi? Incoming!"

"What? Oh, _crap!_" An exclamation point popped into Fukidashi's dialogue bubble of a head. "_WOOSH!_"

Massive lettering for the onomatopoeia exploded into existence outside the confines of his face, blasting forward and casting Jomei's attack aside like a sudden burst of wind.

"Ok… that's a Quirk," Jomei murmured.

"Kodai! We've got company, Bondo and Fukidashi are on defense right?" Jean shouted.

"Hm."

"You heard her! Don't let 1-A take our headband! Shake 'em off!"

Akiko's eyes narrowed. "Not so fast! Jomei, keep up the pressure! Shinso and Aoyama, full speed ahead!"

"_Oui!_"

"Right!"

As her teammates sped up to keep up with the now-evasive Team Kodai, Jomei let loose a brief barrage of Neon Beams, and Kodai turned her head to pay closer attention to her team's newfound foes. Fukidashi let out another _WHOOSH, _blowing three of the beams off-course once again, but another continued flying towards her unabated.

"Hm."

"Bondo!" Jean translated.

The bulky student nodded and shifted his attention over to Team Takara, and his straw-colored and bucket-shaped head snapped around. Suddenly, the seven holes in his head, presumably his eyes, ejected a glue-like substance onto the battlefield like a waterfall. The substance hardened almost instantly, and Jomei's Neon Beam only succeeded at cracking the newfound wall before dissipating.

But with a strong gust of air, Akiko blew through the hardened substance as though the obstacle was little more than an inconvenience.

_'You're not getting away that easily…!'_

_"Wow! Only two minutes in and the cavalry battle has already devolved into a free-for-all! It's every team for themselves, and with so many Quirks on the battlefield, who knows what could happen next!?" _Present Mic exclaimed excitedly. _"Just make sure to watch your headbands…!"_

It was as Present Mic stopped speaking that Jomei fired another salvo of Neon Beams. As Team Kodai sped along with Bondo and Fukidashi consistently rendering midrange attacks thus far moot, Akiko decided to try and find a hole in their strategy. Before Bondo had begun creating hardened glue walls, it seemed as though Akiko's team would've eventually been able to get within arm's reach of them, but now Team Kodai running out of range was a very real possibility. The distance between them was growing, and Akiko had to shake things up if she wanted her team's standing to go anywhere.

"What's the plan, Akiko?" Shinso growled. "We're wasting our time, here!"

"I have one! You focus on running, but Aoyama, Jomei? Fukidashi and Bondo's Quirks are just being used for defense right now. We may not know what she and Kodai can do, but we're faster than them!" She took note of the fact both teams were about to turn around the edge of the arena to avoid hitting a wall. "Aoyama! I need you to punch straight through Bondo's wall when I give the signal. Jomei! I need you to stun them with a Flashbang, and I'll get their headband!"

"So long as they don't make it into the next round, them knowing about that technique won't be a problem…" Jomei thought aloud. "I'm ready when you are, Akiko!"

"And if they try anything?" Shinso warned.

"I'll deal with it as it comes, trust me!" Akiko said. "Besides, we can always get away with Aoyama and Jomei's Quirks, but we need to do this right when they turn back towards the main field! It'll be our only chance to catch up enough to make this work!"

Team Takara continued forward, and as the 1-B team neared the wall of the field, it was as Akiko expected. She couldn't hear what Jean shouted, but Team Kodai suddenly made a hard left with almost shocking efficiency. As Akiko's team angled themselves to intercept, Bondo once again focused his attention in their direction. A deluge of his Quirk's substance followed, and a long, thick wall quickly formed. Had Akiko not made a plan, its size would have been enough to force her team to finally give up the chase.

Unfortunately for Team Kodai, they weren't going up against a team that was so easily deterred.

"Everyone brace yourselves! Aoyama!" Akiko ordered.

"It's my time to _shine!_" Aoyama declared, and a navel laser flew from his belt. It bored through Bondo's hardened wall and shattered the obstacle into splinters, and as Aoyama's teammates started regaining what speed they'd lost from the backward force of his attack, he smiled. "No walls can stop _my _sparkly Quirk!"

"Jomei!"

A pink orb flew from his hand ahead of their team. "Way ahead of you!"

The Flashbang whistled through the dust cloud that Aoyama's attack had whipped up, and not a moment after it reached where the enemy team should be, it detonated. The shocked cries of Team Kodai erupted through the air, and Akiko's own allies ran through the billowing dust and closed the distance in no time.

Visibility was low, but Akiko could see all three horses of Kodai's team stumbling from the effects of Jomei's stun, and the eyes of their team's rider herself were squeezed shut in apparent shock from the attack. For a moment, Akiko thought she'd be able to pluck Team Kodai's points right from the rider's head without any opposition.

She then noticed two tiny pebbles soaring through the air towards her.

In what felt like slow motion, Kodai pressed the tips of her fingers together, and quietly spoke only one word.

"Release."

The pebbles expanded into boulders in an instant. There'd be no dodging them without letting Team Kodai get away scot-free.

"What!?" Jomei yelped.

"_Akiko!_" Shinso growled.

_'Don't think that this is going to be enough to stop us, Kodai!'_

Just as quickly as Kodai had unleashed her Quirk, Akiko engaged hers. She swiftly shifted from peridot to emerald mode, and threw her palm forward at the incoming boulders. Her Quirk was one she used sparingly, but it was at times like these, that straining herself just that _little _more could mean the difference between success and failure. It was at times like these, with her team counting on her, that she _refused _to fail.

The boulders exploded into gravel that fell harmlessly beneath her allies' feet.

_"Whooaaaaaa! Talk about split-second reaction times! Team Takara just took down Team Kodai's last-ditch defense! The 1-B team is wide open!" _Present Mic yelled.

The crowd's cheers grew loud enough to be compared to thunder, but the sound was muffled as the world around Akiko faded. All that existed right now in her eyes was Team Takara and Team Kodai.

She had nearly gotten within arm's reach of Kodai's headband when she noticed that her opponent's teammates were beginning to recover. Two more pebbles flew from Kodai's sleeves, and she stood determined to defend her team despite the expression on her face revealing her fear of the quartet charging at her.

_'If your Quirk makes you press your fingers together to enlarge objects, then all I have to do is stop you from doing that for one more second!'_

Akiko's Quirk swapped back to peridot mode, and her arms moved in a blur of motion to send wind towards Kodai's hands as her fingers grew closer together. The attack connected, Kodai's arms were thrown apart, and the pebbles bounced harmlessly off Shinso's chest as Team Takara got their rider within reaching distance.

Akiko's fingers looped through Kodai's headband and tore it from her brow before she even knew what hit her.

"Jomei! Aoyama! _Hit it!_" Akiko commanded.

"_Right!_"

Aoyama twisted his hips to aim his Quirk behind them. Jomei's gases flared as he activated Light Speed. Shinso braced himself for the inevitable burst of speed from behind.

As Team Kodai recovered, the last thing they'd see of their opponents would be their backs careening towards the opposite end of the arena, leaving them demoralized and in the dust.

* * *

Jean was the first to recover fully from Team Takara's stun, and as she saw that Kodai had lost her headband and they'd been left behind, she frowned miserably. "I'm sorry you guys… I couldn't do anything to help! Kodai, I swear, if I had some of my gear with me I would've done everything I could to get the headband back!"

"Mm." Kodai nodded sagely.

Fukidashi shook his head, and an exclamation point popped into its speech bubble. "Hey! Don't go all beating yourself up about it Jean! They were all like _POW _through that wall and then _BOOM _with that follow-up attack, there was nothing you coulda done!"

"It just sucks that only the support department gets to bring things that'd help them out…" Jean sighed. "I had my costume designed to let me _not _wear these armbands and help me use my Quirk for a reason, and now we're down points _and _our class might get upstaged by 1-A!"

"That's not true!" Bondo interrupted. "All of us took it easy and threw the obstacle race so we could see what 1-A could do, right?"

"Right…?" Jean unsurely echoed.

Bondo tilted his head up at the screens towards the top of the arena. "Then just look at everyone else's scores!"

_"Hold on just one second sports fans…!"_ Present Mic said, and the screens flickered to show each team's present standings. _"Just look at every team's point totals! Aside from Team Midoriya in first and Team Takara close to fourth, Class 1-A isn't looking so hot! Class 1-B's owning the second stage!"_

Jean looked at the screen, and her mouth fell agape. Just like the pro had said, 1-B seemed to be ranking supreme amidst the top teams, and the only reason 1-A was still technically in the lead at this point was because of Team Midoriya's ten million points. Even _Bakugo, _the hothead that everyone in her class couldn't help but seem to hate after how Tetsutetsu had reported what he'd acted like, had _zero _points.

Which meant that someone in her class had claimed them as their own.

_"We're entering the halfway point of the cavalry battle, but it's still anybody's game!"_ Present Mic continued. _"Class 1-B's making an unexpected showing, but who will the top teams be in the end? Will it be the underdogs that came out of nowhere and stole the show, or will it be 1-A, ready and raring to take back their points!? That's the real question, sports fans!"_

"We're still in this game, Jean!" Bondo reassured. "Class 1-A's teams are still our targets, and we can still make a comeback ourselves if we try! Are you with me?"

"_Yeah!_" Fukidashi cheered. "Come on Jean, let's hit 'em so hard it'll be all like _WA-POW!_"

Jean smirked. "You guys are awesome…"

"Mm!" Kodai fiercely hummed.

The three horses carrying Kodai laughed as they recovered their stride.

"Listen guys, we might not have any points anymore, but let's give it everything we've got and make it to the next round!" Jean encouraged. "Plus ultra!"

"_Plus ultra!_" Bondo and Fukidashi echoed.

They were Class 1-B, but they were _not _second-rate.

* * *

Akiko started to secure her team's second headband like a scarf around her neck, and the rest of her team carried her steadily onward as they awaited her instructions to head for another target. Just as she was about to locate a new team to attack, Present Mic's announcement of how terribly most of Class 1-A was doing rang in their ears. The news gave Akiko a moment's pause before she fully fastened Kodai's headband, and clearly shocked Aoyama and Jomei both, but Shinso remained impassive despite the revelation.

"Okay… headband secured," Akiko declared. "Everyone ready to keep going?"

Jomei stared at Bakugo's zero points for a moment longer, but nodded. "Yeah, sure! I don't know how 1-B's doing so well, but our plan stays the same! Besides, it isn't like 1-A have any points left for us to go after anymore even if we wanted to…"

"Such a shame – it seems we must shine on behalf of our peers as well!" Aoyama said.

Shinso looked back at his fellow horses and rolled his eyes before looking up at Akiko. "Hey, you heard how Mic mentioned that we're already down to the halfway mark, right?"

She nodded.

"Well even with Kodai's headband, we still only have 650 points – it's close, but that still doesn't even put us in the top four. We need to go after higher-value teams if we want to get anywhere close to the top and into the next round. It doesn't matter if it's 1-A or 1-B either anymore, slow and steady isn't going to win us the cavalry battle if a single headband takes up half our time. We need to make a call, and quick!"

It didn't take much thought for Akiko to agree with the sentiment. Their team may have been close to fourth place right about now, but 'close' wouldn't be enough to carry them on into the next stage of the festival. U.A. counted on its students to go beyond in everything they did, and settling for anything short of excellence at this point in the cavalry battle would merely be a one-way road to mediocrity.

"You're right," she agreed. "Okay! Everyone, keep an eye out for another team with a lot of points, and the moment you see them, call them out so we can chase them down! We're getting down to the wire, but we can still get into the top four if we play our cards right!"

Shinso nodded and faced forward once again.

Aoyama smiled. "My my Takara, and here I thought you were but one of the most demure of our class, yet you show such ferocity on the battlefield! I approve of this new plan!"

Akiko's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. The praise from one of her classmates still felt odd to receive, even if she was making a concerted effort to overcome the insecurity that plagued her.

"Uh, guys!?" Jomei suddenly shouted, snapping her out of her inner musings. "I think we won't have to go far to find a team with a bunch of points to go after…!"

"What?"

She whirled around when she noticed Jomei looking behind them, and there she saw another team's headband, its emboldened red font proudly advertising its wearer's 705 points. She also noticed how fierce the team that owned it looked. More specifically, she saw their leader's distinctly bronze-colored skin, and one of his horses' sharp teeth clenched in a fierce scowl as his solid steel body glared in the sunlight.

And the team of four was on a course headed right for them.

_'Oh no…'_

"Get ready, guys!" Jomei warned. "_Team McKennan, incoming!_"

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Ah, chaotic combat… how I despise you so much when it comes to depicting it with so many names and characters and things to juggle in the middle of an event as big as the cavalry battle. But seriously though, I stand by the fact that Akiko's strategy was a nice way to give her team something unique to do other than go after Midoriya like a bunch of sheeple, but my GOD is it narratively hard to pull off. Again, it gives me SO much more respect for people who can pull off a good tournament arc without anyone noticing the effort that goes into it all. Anywho!**

**Thar be hints hidden in this chapter and another in the (far?) future that Akiko's Quirk is more than what it seems… which is pretty obvious if you've seen my commission of her on my DeviantArt, but still! It's refreshing to still have more new stuff to share with you all about one of the protagonists even though we're 22 chapters into the fic. I mean, hell, I still have to unveil what Jean and Thad's Quirks are (admittedly **_**way **_**in the future, but there are hints insofar as Jean's is concerned) AND I have **_**still **_**yet to introduce like… **_**four,**_** kinda even **_**FIVE **_**characters that will play major roles in WFAF throughout its story.**

**I've already laid the groundwork for one character (hint, it's not very well-hidden in **_**any**_** of Snipe's scenes), but I suppose the other four and the foreign exchange students' Quirks will just have to wait to see the light of day. **_**C'est la vie,**_** as Aoyama would say, eh?**

**It's going to be a while before we get there, but I **_**will **_**say that this is the final arc before I **_**finally **_**get to give our two protags something to do! Other than exist in canon events' shadow and be extremely fun to write all the while, I mean. In the meantime, stay awesome, eat food, don't die, all that good stuff – **_**peace!**_


	23. Cavalry Battle Finale

"Get ready, guys!" Jomei warned. "_Team McKennan, incoming!_"

"Hey, Takara!" Tetsutetsu yelled. "Nice job taking out our classmates! Hope it was worth it, because you and your 1-A pals are going down, _you hear me?!_"

Thad threw out a hand in front of his rear horse's face, but his focus remained solely on Team Takara. "Remain calm, Tetsutetsu. Now's not the time to waste energy you could be using to focus on your Quirk – we both have jobs to do, now let's see them through."

"Right!"

"Akiko? What's the plan, here?" Jomei asked.

She looked towards the foreigner-led team behind her. For a few moments, she took the time to both discern how quickly her competition was gaining on them and who exactly made up that team. She didn't have much time to embed appearances in her psyche, but she identified the other horses near Tetsutetsu swiftly enough. Shiozaki Ibara was the other rear horse of Thad's team, with long hair consisting of thorny vines, and the front horse of the quartet was Honenuki Juzo. With ash blond, slightly spiky hair that went halfway down his neck and no lips to hide his teeth, he looked familiar, but there was no time for Akiko to really think about where she'd seen him before.

United, without even knowing any of their Quirks beyond the obvious one of Tetsutetsu's now-metallic body, they were almost certainly a force to be reckoned with. Slowly but surely, they were gaining on Team Takara, but without a clue as to what they could do, Akiko wasn't about to make a call that could jeopardize her team's standing.

"Just keep going!" Akiko answered.

"You sure?"

"Yeah! They may be gaining on us, but we don't have enough information to make a better plan right now," she said. "We still have time, so we can spend a little of it to scout out what their Quirks are, and then we'll come up with a plan of attack from there!"

_'It's a double-sided plan, for sure. The more time we spend letting 1-B take the initiative the higher the chance that they'll be able to snag one of our headbands before we have a chance to defend ourselves. Still, fighting all of them full-force while we're still ahead of them and have our backs turned is risky too. There's no easy choice, here.'_

She exhaled. "Aoyama and Jomei, your jobs are to stay vigilant and be prepared for anything. I'll fight back with my Quirk to defend us, but if I need to call on either of you I need you guys to be ready!"

The pair nodded up at her, and she turned her attention to Hitoshi.

"What about me, Akiko?" He asked.

"You're on standby." He gave her a look, and she continued. "Don't worry, though. I won't hesitate to have you use your Quirk. I said I wanted to avoid having to use it, sure, but if the time comes that we need it, we'll use it."

Hitoshi nodded. "Good. I noticed that Team McKennan still has 705 points – that means they haven't gotten any more since the cavalry battle started, but it will probably be enough to get us into the next round if we can get them."

"Noted. Now let's keep moving – they're almost in range!"

Her teammates' strides redoubled with newfound vigor. Team McKennan was faster than them, and Akiko was planning to take advantage of that fact to glean information about them, but that didn't mean she had to make the task of catching up easy. Nevertheless, the other team grew ever closer with every second, and Akiko spent each one of those precious moments planning for their inevitable clash. Judging by how things had gone with Team Kodai, she knew that if they could get _behind _Team McKennan and press the advantage from there, they'd likely be okay. The only problem with making the most out of that fact was that they needed to get behind their opponents in the first place.

Team McKennan reached striking distance. Further planning would have to wait.

"Shiozaki," Thad said within earshot. "The headband around Takara's forehead will most likely have her team's original amount of points – get it."

"With haste!"

Not a moment later, Shiozaki's hair lashed out with its thorny vines in Akiko's direction. Five thick strands writhed through the air with enough randomness such that she found it impossible to keep track of them, even as they all headed towards her team's headband.

Akiko's arms moved in preparation of a defense, but Jomei beat her to the punch.

"Not so fast!"

In a flash, a quintet of beams emerged from Jomei's free hand. Each pierced the air and met the girl's vines head-on or further down their lengths, forcing them to withdraw like hissing snakes as quickly as they had come.

Shiozaki's face twisted. "Painful, but I suppose it was a fitting reprimand for one who would send forth such a wrathful attack…"

"Sorry!" Jomei shouted back. "Now I just feel bad…"

"Don't, mon ami," Aoyama countered. "Truly, it's the burden of the extraordinary to defend themselves from the likes of those who would see them dethroned – you were merely defending our honor. It's a shame, though, that our adversaries can't see that they're outmatched…"

Shiozaki's eyes flared with anger and honed in on Aoyama. "Sinful though it may be to unleash wrath upon the innocent… _you _are not one such soul! May you and your allies suffer just reprimand for aligning themselves with you!"

Several vines surged forward as fiercely as the strands that had preceded them – if not slightly more so. Aoyama only looked away from the attack as if to pretend it didn't exist.

"Oh, _thanks, _Aoyama!" Jomei shouted.

Akiko sighed. "Less infighting, more defending ourselves! Jomei, work with me!"

"On it!"

He raised his hand, and it again flared to life with his Quirk. Akiko twisted around and raised her own, prepared to blow away Shiozaki's vines with well-timed and measured blasts of air. Together, the pair successfully weathered the incoming barrage of attacks – Jomei's beams met their marks slightly less successfully than before thanks to their foe's ire being fiercely raised, but Akiko made up for what shots he'd missed. Between bursts of his ranged attacks, Akiko blew away what few vines made it through his defensive screen of purple and blue beams just long enough for Jomei to take aim and force their targets back.

Shiozaki flinched again, and her hair fell limp.

_'Ok, Shiozaki's Quirk seems to be her hair. They're durable enough to take damage from Jomei's Neon Beams without getting blasted apart, so they might have her as a rear horse just in case they need to shield themselves. Giving ourselves an opening to get behind Thad's team by making her stumble is a no-go, then. But what about Tetsutetsu? How durable is he?'_

Her eyes switched from mismatched yellows to greens, and her hair and crystal core followed suit. If Team McKennan had seen anything of what her team had done before against Kodai, they'd already know her own Quirk had something to do with the elements, so hoping to keep her modes a surprise was a moot endeavor. She had to make the most of what she had at her disposal if she wanted to beat the team pursuing her own.

That started with testing how durable Tetsutetsu's Quirk _really _made him.

One hook into the air from Akiko incited that test. From between the two teams, a stone around the size of All Might's fist flew from the ground. Before Team McKennan could react, it hit its mark dead center into Tetsutetsu's chest. On contact though, it exploded into dust, leaving the rear horse it hit undeterred.

"What, is that all you got!?" Tetsutetsu taunted. "My Quirk, Steel, lets me make my skin hard steel, so if you're trying to slow us down, you're gonna have to try a lot harder than that!"

Akiko disregarded his comments. _'So the way his body looks now isn't just for show… he really _is _made of metal with his Quirk, meaning I can't throw off Thad's team by attacking either of his rear horses. He's tough, just like Kirishima, but I can't aim directly for his legs either because that's against the rules and would get our team disqualified. I still need to figure out a way to get behind them.'_

_"And wouldn't ya know it, folks!" _Present Mic cut in, interrupting her thoughts. _"It looks like _all _of 1-A is united against 1-B right now! Team Bakugo's in the middle of a mad melee with Team Monoma to get back their points, Takara and McKennan are on the brink of one big showdown, and the only people from the two classes _not _fighting each other are Teams Todoroki and Midoriya! I'm gonna need more eyes to keep track of all these top tier moves!"_

"Honenuki," Thad said loud enough for Akiko to hear. "They're fighting defensively to buy themselves time. We need to stop that if we want to get their points with any time to spare."

Honenuki's eyes narrowed intensely. "Will do. Just need to get a little closer…"

In the back of Akiko's mind, something clicked. It was then that she finally remembered where she'd seen Honenuki before. During the obstacle race, just after Todoroki had taken down the first zero-pointer faux villain that had shown up in the robo inferno, Akiko had seen Shiozaki and Honenuki both. Shiozaki had slingshotted herself forward with her vines, while Honenuki had been swimming through the ground, or more specifically, the liquified ground that seemed to manifest wherever he pushed forward.

The exacts of his Quirk were unknown, but Akiko knew that letting her team get trapped in softened earth was just asking for trouble, and she wasn't about to gamble on whether her Quirk could win a prolonged battle against Honenuki's own.

_"It looks like Team Todoroki has taken the ten million points! What a turnaround, leaving Midoriya with zero points! We've only got five minutes left, and the students are still shakin' up our expectations!"_

And with that brief revelation, running away was no longer an option, either. There just wouldn't be enough time to scout out any of 1-B's remaining teams in hopes that her team would triumph and somehow end up with enough points to move on. It was do or die time, and whatever Akiko did next had to change things up if she wanted to secure her team a spot in the next stage.

"Ok everyone," she started. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but we need to stop."

Aoyama did a double-take. "_Quoi?_"

"I don't know what that nut job just said, but I'm _really _against this idea, Akiko," Hitoshi said.

"Remember what I said about my Quirk's mobility? Back when we were planning?"

He nodded. "You said it usually comes in bursts, and that you avoid using it to move other people around alongside you."

"Keyword being _usually,_" Akiko explained. "Remember, I _did _use my Quirk to get us both out of danger back during the practical exam, so just trust me, okay?"

Hitoshi shook his head. "Don't make me regret this, Akiko…!"

"I won't, now let's stop!"

In almost the next instant, Team Takara's horses planted their feet firmly into the ground. Team McKennan continued forward undeterred, the final few meters between them being little more than an inconvenience now that their foes had stopped.

_"Hold on just a moment! Team Takara's come to a complete stop!" _Present Mic confusedly stressed. _"Team McKennan's closing the gap! They're gonna be wide open!"_

_'Okay, this is going to be just like the start of the obstacle race, back when I shot myself forward, but this time it's backward instead of forward and four people instead of just me. You can do this, and so can your team… you just have to trust them.'_

"Giving up already, huh!?" Tetsutetsu barked.

"Perhaps they've merely resigned themselves to our retribution…" Shiozaki observed. "They've seen the futility in their attempts to outrun us, I suppose."

As the team got into range, Honenuki's foot hit the ground mid-stride and suddenly the earth turned to slush before him and his team. The mud-like earth spilled out ahead of them, as if the invisible force that was Honenuki's Quirk had a mind of its own and was eager to consume Team Takara in its liquified maw.

"No…" Thad said. "I think you're both wrong."

_'Bingo.'_

Akiko's arms pulled at the earth beneath her, and each of her teammates wordlessly prepared themselves for what came next. Their grip on their rider tightened, their muscles tensed, and after that, one thrust into the air with her palms up was all Akiko needed to do.

Six stone pillars punched out of the earth, and Team Takara was sent flying backward as one cohesive unit.

Honenuki's wide eyes stared up at them as they flew overhead. "Well… _shit._"

The quartet from 1-A landed with the crunching of grass and dirt underfoot, but Akiko didn't waste a second to deliver her next command. "Okay! Aoyama and Jomei, kick us back into gear – we aren't letting Team McKennan escape!"

"After such a resplendent display? Of course."

Jomei grinned. "Don't need to tell me twice! _Let's go!_"

Akiko had to fight the force that threatened to throw her back as the two rear horses' Quirks blasted Team Takara back into the fray, and right onto their adversaries' tails. Akiko's eyes flashed with determination, and it was only through her periphery that she noticed Jomei grinning encouragingly up at her. It only energized her further as her heart pulsed.

_"Now would you look at that! Talk about turning the tables! Team Takara's suddenly right behind Team McKennan – it's like they just traded places!"_ Present Mic cheered._ "And speaking of unexpected events, Bakugo's taken back _all _of Monoma's points! He and his team have skyrocketed into second!"_

"Akiko, I don't know how you managed to do what you just did, but you were awesome, you know that?" Jomei praised.

"Indeed! Such power and panache!" Aoyama agreed. "I daresay that you outshined _my _Quirk for a moment there!"

"Yeah, great, we did a thing as a team, but what we really need right now is this McKennan guy's points!" Hitoshi pointed out.

"Don't worry, I have a plan for that, too!" Akiko assured him. "Jomei, combine attacks with me! We don't need to worry about reeling in the headband with my Quirk anymore since we'll be able to just run in and grab it if we knock it off, so we just have to give this assault all we've got, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan! Just gotta get a little closer and we'll go all-out!"

The exchange concluded and with the new avenue of attack decided upon, Akiko turned her attention forward once more. She may not be able to make Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki falter due to their durable Quirks, and Honenuki wasn't even a target as the 1-B team's front horse, but she could still strain herself in her assault against Thad if it meant getting his points. As a result of her conservative use of her Quirk, aside from moving her entire team, what little pain she felt in her chest was negligible, which meant that she could freely spend as much energy as she desired in this next effort.

She took in one deep breath. "_Now!_"

Akiko let loose a swift stream of jabs into the air, and a barrage of small stones flew from the ground on a collision course with the secure knot that kept her opponent's headband in place. At the same time, Jomei unleashed a short salvo of attacks with his own Quirk, and the ensuing Neon Beams' arcs stretched wide like a flurry of curveballs. Thad twisted around and did little more than stare at the incoming attacks.

He then dodged every single one in a blur of motion. One second he was calmly staring down the pair's incoming projectiles, and the next, his body had fluidly moved around faster than Akiko could keep track. The only indicator that he'd even moved was a single strand of hair out of place atop his head – which he then slicked back with one smooth motion, his eyes still on his opponents.

_'What was that…? Is his Quirk some kind of speed amplifier? Even if that were the case, that doesn't explain how he kept track of all of them at the same time…'_

Tetsutetsu barked out a laugh. "You think you can take down our rider that easy? Ha! Think again, because Thad's Quirk-"

"_Enough, _Tetsutetsu," Thad scolded. "We've been placed in a difficult position, and the last thing we need to do is provide our enemies with more information. Since there isn't enough time left for us to start up another fight, you and Shiozaki need to focus on defense. We need to defend the points we have to the death and hope for a miracle in the meantime."

"Consider my prayers with you, Thaddeus," Shiozaki said.

"Sounds like a good strategy, considering they've got the advantage," Honenuki agreed.

Tetsutetsu nodded fiercely. "_Will do!_"

A short growl of frustration emerged from Akiko's throat. If Team McKennan was on the defensive now, even ignoring Thad's unknown Quirk that let him dodge everything they threw at him, getting through Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu both would be a tall order.

Which meant that it was time they pulled out their trump card.

"Aoyama, how are you doing? With your Quirk, I mean."

He blinked twice. "Fine, I assure you. My stomach protests being used to propel us all repeatedly, but I assure you my sparkly Quirk and I are still fit to fight!"

"Jomei?"

"A few Neon Beams and using Light Speed for a few seconds isn't gonna be enough to drain me! Whatever you need me for next, I'm still more than ready!"

"Good." She said, and looked down. "Hitoshi."

He spared a glance up at her.

"I'm going to be counting on you."

Hitoshi smiled ever-so-slightly. "About time… just get me close and keep the team covered."

Akiko nodded, and her features flared red. There was no doubt that whatever came next would require some more firepower – in the most literal of ways – if she wanted to help buy her team one more chance to grab their opponents' precious points. "One more time! Hitoshi get ready, and the rest of us speed things up!"

Suddenly, Aoyama's Navel Laser, Jomei's Light Speed, and a forceful stream of fire stretching out from Akiko's fists lit up the arena around them in a myriad of colors. Within that thrilling, incandescent moment, Team Takara wasn't merely a team of teenagers playing some amped-up version of a schoolyard game.

They were a force of sheer speed and destruction.

And they were on a warpath headed straight for Team McKennan.

The instant they caught up with their opponents, and their Quirks cut off, Shiozaki acted. Being the rear horse closest to the four 1-A students, her hair shot towards Akiko in a fierce bundle of force and thorns.

An arc of flame from Akiko's arm was what Shiozaki earned instead, and with a yelp, she retracted her vines as quickly as she'd cast them out.

"Sorry, Shiozaki, but I can't let your team escape!" Akiko shouted.

For the briefest of moments, Team Takara leaned left, taking their headbands just barely out of arm's reach. Even without needing to be told, it seemed everyone on her team's side understood the risk that came with being so close to their enemy – especially given how they had no clear clue as to the limits of what Thad's Quirk let him do. It seemed that Thad was equally wary of his opposition, and his team too respected the invisible wall between their two teams.

Hitoshi didn't waste a second. "Hey, Honenuki! If I'm going to be honest, you seem like a pretty underwhelming pick for a front horse."

Honenuki stared ahead, not dignifying Hitoshi's taunt with a response.

Hitoshi smirked. "You know, I heard you were one of the four recommendation students let into U.A. without having to take the normal entrance exam, right? Hell of a shame all you managed to do was make yourself into a liability for your own team – all you had to do was catch us, and you couldn't even do that right."

This time, Honenuki growled, but his focus remained on avoiding the action in the arena around them. His teeth clenched, and his jaw muscles visibly tightened.

"But hey, even if you're some big-shot student, I can't say I care how you got into U.A. in the first place. Class 1-B might be showing a ton of skill right now, but your buddies still look like they're pretty second-rate compared to 1-A." Hitoshi's smirk grew wider, more condescending, and Akiko's eyes widened somewhat as she recognized the strategy in how her friend tried to trigger his Quirk. With this, she quickly swept her attention back to their general situation, ready to direct Jomei or Aoyama at a moment's notice and keep Hitoshi covered.

"In fact," Hitoshi went on, "…I feel bad for you. I feel like even if 1-B was half as skilled as the guys here with me from 1-A, you would probably be too stupid to figure out what my Quirk is in the first place."

Thad's mechanical eyes narrowed suspiciously.

But Honenuki took the bait, and his head whipped around to face his foe. "Oh, _yeah? _Big talk, coming from someone who didn't even get into the hero cou-"

His face went blank, his eyes now vacant and dull as stones.

Hitoshi smiled satisfiedly. "Checkmate. Honenuki – keep running straight, no matter what."

The lipless student wordlessly obeyed, and his team lurched ever so slightly as their path was forced into a singular direction. The wall of the stadium's field was far in the distance, but suddenly, Team McKennan was faced with the sobering realization that, for whatever reason, their front horse had set them on a collision course with the boundary.

"Hey, Honenuki! What're you doing?" Tetsutetsu shouted, and beside him, Shiozaki's face fell.

"We don't have time to figure that out. For now, both of you just need to try and slow us down until whatever happened to Honenuki hopefully wears off," Thad instructed, and as the two rear horses tried and failed to slow their front horse down, he looked firmly at Hitoshi. "You do realize that whatever you're trying to do here isn't going to get you the points, right? Whatever your Quirk is, if you're using it with the exact goal of making us crash into the wall and fall down, all that'll earn you and your team is a disqualification."

"Oh, I know."

His mouth fell slightly agape with surprise.

"For whatever reason, my team doesn't look like it'll be able to get your points… but _your _team can. One of them could just tear off your headband and hand it over and you'd never even see it coming," Hitoshi continued.

Shiozaki and Tetsutetsu exchanged equally bewildered looks.

Thad remained tense. "What are you-"

"Like right now, right, Honenuki?" Hitoshi cut in. "Go for it."

Honenuki's arm snapped around in a stilted motion, as if he were a puppet and Hitoshi's words were the strings that controlled him. One moment Thad's headband had been secured around his brow, and the next, it'd been torn off by the keystone of his quartet's entire formation.

The front horse extended his arm towards Team Takara, and they lurched forward for only an instant so that Akiko could grab it. Thad's arm raced to intercept her own, but Akiko beat him to the punch, and her team hopped out of harm's way the second they saw her secure a grip around their prize.

At that moment, for the first time, Thad didn't appear calm and collected. He looked _shocked._

"Honenuki! You're free to go!" Hitoshi shouted.

His victim blinked back into consciousness, and in his confusion, he and his team stumbled unsteadily as he noticed the imminent and encroaching presence of the wall before him, giving Team Takara their chance to escape.

Akiko's fist tightened like a vice around the headband. "Aoyama and Jomei! Get us as far away from here as possible, _now!_"

"_Right!_"

As the increasingly familiar feeling of a turn and unbridled acceleration hit her, this time, Akiko managed to brace herself against the backward force. For a longer period than any previous burst of speed her team had mustered before, they flew forward, and Hitoshi was forced to commit to desperate leaps every time his feet hit the ground to keep up with the pace set by their rear horses.

_"Hey now! I look away for one second, and Team Takara's claimed Team McKennan's headband for themselves! Class 1-B's momentum is fizzling out!" _Present Mic proclaimed.

_"It's not that…" _Aizawa contested. _"It's just that it seems that 1-A's tenacity and experience may just turn out to be enough to have them come out on top."_

_"Hey! Thanks for contributing for once! For a second I thought you were dead, there!"_

_"For the record, I never agreed to-"_

Present Mic ignored him. _"But just like that…"_

Akiko's team whizzed by teams frozen in Todoroki's ice, and when they finally hit a point free of any other nearby teams' presence, their burst of movement abated. She removed her arms from their defensive position in front of her face, and immediately set to securing her team's third headband around her neck. Her horses continued their advance as their momentum slowed, and from what determination she saw on their faces, they were more than ready to keep going.

Almost in disbelief, she smiled. Impromptu though their alliance may have been, she couldn't imagine having anyone other than the three teammates she had now on her side.

"Alright, Akiko, that's done and over with," Hitoshi began. "What's next?"

"Ditto!" Jomei agreed. "Still ready for more!"

Aoyama nodded dizzily. "My stomach burns, but I concur!"

She finished securing her headband. "_Okay!_ Then-"

_"TIME'S UP!"_

Everyone on her team blinked in confusion, and they slowed to an unexpected halt.

Akiko was the only one to voice the thought they all shared, though.

"..._what?_"

_"And with that, the second stage is officially over!" _Present Mic announced. _"I think we can all agree everyone who played a part in the games gave it a real 'plus ultra' job, so let's give them some cheers, sports fans!"_

The arena's audience readily complied, and the din of noise that filled the field overhead intensified once again. As the news started to sink in, Akiko looked around to see how the other teams had responded. Many looked just as surprised as she felt, while Teams Kodai and McKennan had decidedly more interesting reactions out of the 1-B teams. Team Kodai's spirits looked oddly high, with the three horses engaged in a group hug that Kodai just so happened to get squeezed into, and Team McKennan looked surprisingly calm, even _resigned_ to their defeat as they set their leader down. Despite everything Akiko had learned about being more social at U.A. in the time she'd been attending, their responses did nothing but make her head hurt.

On 1-A's side of things, however, three teams, in particular, caught her eye. Teams Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki were all surrounded by walls of ice – presumably Todoroki's – and both their riders and teams were a mixture of both breathless and dazed. Bakugo stood out even further though, what with how he looked to have done a mean face plant into the ground after what could reasonably have been assumed to be an explosive aerial attack that was interrupted by the end of the cavalry battle.

Akiko cautiously guessed that their isolation in Todoroki's icy prison was some byproduct of them fighting for the ten million points. Who had the ten million now, though, she hadn't the barest hint of a clue.

Before she knew it, her team lowered her to the ground, and she was left standing in stunned silence at just how quickly the cavalry battle had come to an end. She only hoped that the two additional headbands her team had managed to take for themselves would be enough for them to get into the next stage. For all their sakes.

Jomei's arm clapping onto her shoulder prevented her from thinking too hard on the matter, though. "Akiko, you were _incredible _back there! You looked so determined and confident, it was like you turned into the perfect leader almost instantly! I mean, you said that you couldn't afford to worry or anything, but still!"

She felt her cheeks warm in response to his praise. "Thanks, Jomei. But I was only able to do so well because I had the rest of you there with me. I may have been useful as rider, but-"

"No buts!" He cut in with a smile. "All of us were useful, yeah, but how many times did your shot-calling and your Quirk either save our points or _get _us points? Kodai with the pebbles, Shiozaki's vines at the end there, _moving our whole team through the air. _That was all you. Don't sell yourself short."

This time, Akiko knew for a fact that she blushed, her cheeks and crystal core both coloring themselves a bright shade of pink.

Hitoshi rolled his arms idly as he turned to join the conversation. "I'm not someone who's going to spend a whole day praising anybody about doing a good job, but he's right. Even if I still think we waited a bit too long for my liking to actually make use of my Quirk…"

"But it all worked out in the end, right?"

He sighed. "Sure, Nishimura."

_"Now, let's go ahead and take a look at who our top four teams are!"_ Present Mic continued, and the screens around the top of the arena suddenly displayed the final standings of the cavalry battle. Jomei's hand slipped from her shoulder, and Akiko's clenched into fists.

It was the moment of truth.

_"In first place, with over ten million points is… Team Todoroki!"_

In the distance, Akiko saw their reactions. Yaoyorozu breathed a sigh of relief and placed a reassuring hand on Iida's shoulder, who, judging by his posture, looked frustrated with himself for some reason. His tension dissolved and he suddenly bowed profusely before his peer in presumed thanks, and Yaoyorozu took a step back in surprise. Denki, meanwhile, stumbled aimlessly forward, the dumb expression on his face assuring that he had at some point gone stupid once again. Fortunately, Kyoka appeared to grab him by his collar to prevent him from wandering into a wall. Todoroki himself looked… neutral, and his face kept his rare moment of expression as impossible to interpret as ever.

_"In second place, with 1360 points is Team Bakugo!"_

Ashido and Sero instantly leaped at each other, arms outstretched and their bodies colliding in an exuberant hug that nearly bowled the latter of the pair over. Ashido retracted from the embrace and hopped in Kirishima's direction, perhaps expecting a similar reaction, but he merely held a hand out to stop her and pointed down at Bakugo. Even crouched down, hunched over, and dozens of meters away from her, Akiko could read the emotion on his face as clear as day. He was _fuming, _roaring in frustration and taking out his fury on the ground by inducing an explosion from his palms as soon as they hit the dirt.

After seeing how he reacted to the end of his battle trial, Akiko didn't need to be a genius to understand his reaction now.

_"Just barely in third place, only _five points _behind Team Bakugo is… Team Takara!"_

Akiko's mouth fell agape. She did a double-take in the direction of the screens overhead, but it was true. Her team had 1355 points, just behind Bakugo with his 1360, and as the undeniable truth hit her that her team had _succeeded _in making it into the top rankings, she couldn't hold back incredulous and elated giggles of joy. Before she knew it, she felt Jomei's arms wrap around her in a sudden and fierce hug.

"Ha_ha! _I _knew it! _I _knew _that we'd be able to do it! _We did it!_" He cheered, spinning her around before setting her down, at which point she returned the crushing embrace.

Hitoshi let a ghost of a smile touch his lips. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, utterly at ease now that victory had been announced. Aoyama, meanwhile, had separated slightly from the group, already busy waving emphatically at whatever cameras he could lay his eyes on.

Eventually, Jomei and Akiko released each other, though their newfound grins weren't going anywhere any time soon.

"One step closer to the hero course…" Hitoshi whispered.

Jomei turned and nodded at him. "Yep! You're one step closer to the hero course, and all of us have an even bigger chance of winning the whole festival… _it's awesome!_ And we were only five points behind Bakugo, too..." He looked at his rival in the distance.

"Everything's so close to being ours now… it's almost too good to be true…" Akiko thought aloud, but her smile didn't waver.

Aoyama whirled around with a wink. "Well believe it, _cherie! _The spotlight is bound to land on us above all others, now! But rest assured, I'll try to spare some of my shine just for you three when the time comes!"

_"And in fourth place… Team Midoriya! With 685 points, they must've snagged some of the other top two teams' headbands at the last second! Talk about last-ditch efforts!"_

Midoriya exploded into tears. It seemed like rivers of liquid flew from his eyes, which left Akiko wondering if his Quirk had something to do with the display or not. Either way, Midoriya was relieved beyond belief, while his teammates had much calmer reactions to the news of their placement. Tokoyami lowered his head contentedly while Dark Shadow made a point of things to rise into the air and wave to the crowd, a headband still stuck in its ethereal beak. Uraraka just smiled, mimicking Dark Shadow's gesture from the ground in a much more subdued manner, obviously just grateful that her team had ended up where they were. Hatsume hardly paid attention to the crowd, instead electing to tinker away at one of the now-damaged devices she'd outfitted her allies with.

_"These four valiant teams will advance to the third and _final _round! Who's gonna win it all? Guess we gotta just wait and see!" _Present Mic finished. _"Now! Let's take an hour-long break before we start the festivities! See ya soon! And hey, Eraserhead? Let's grab some food."_

_"I'm taking a nap."_

_"Pft! Party pooper."_

Jomei's stomach growled. "You know, food sounds great right about now…"

Hitoshi crossed his arms and raised a brow. "Oh, so you really are one of those ravenous animals that's obsessed with eating, huh?"

"I mean… is there a problem with that?" Jomei asked innocently.

Aoyama started sauntering towards the exit with a flippant wave in his direction. "There's a fine line between appetite and savagery, _mon ami. _What side of the fence you land upon is a decision only you can make."

He rolled his eyes. "You coming with us, Shinso?"

"I've got nowhere to be, so… sure. Why not? I'll at least walk with you two there."

"Awesome!" Jomei praised, and he took Akiko's hand into his own. "Then let's go! I don't want to get caught up in a line."

* * *

Todoroki looked up at an enormous man in the first tier of stands overhead, and thanks to the overbearing presence of the harsh gaze on him, the aspiring hero knew that the image would be yet another one forever burned into his memory.

Even from a distance, the man stood out among the crowd. He was tall, imposing, sturdily-built, and had forged his body into a bulky physical condition that hardly even a handful of heroes without strength-augmenting Quirks had any hope of matching. His short, spiked-up crimson hair contrasted sharply against his light blue eyes, and as a constant reminder of his dominion over fire, his beard and mustache consisted solely of flickering flames with mere stubble hiding underneath. It was an iconic appearance.

Of course, his costume was equally iconic in the hero scene. His tight, navy turquoise bodysuit hugged his massive muscles, with lines of flame closely streaming across his chest, arms, and most prominently, his shoulders. Flame was the only makeshift mask he'd ever needed over his eyes, and the tall boots he wore were constantly left alight, with only their laces and soles visible amongst the all-encompassing inferno. White bracers broke up his color scheme on his lower arms, both styled like cages, and a blue belt with pouches of essential emergency supplies wrapped itself around his waist.

He was the number two hero. The Flame Hero: Endeavor.

He was Enji Todoroki, father of Shoto Todoroki and three other 'failures.'

He was a _bastard._

Thus, when he stopped staring down disappointedly at his offspring and started somewhere else with the announcement of the Sports Festival's lunch break, Todoroki felt some small amount of triumph in weathering his father's unspoken ire. It wasn't anything substantial, but it was a victory all the same, and even the most minor act of spite he could successfully perform against Endeavor was one worthy of note in his eyes.

_'Good riddance, you scumbag.'_

Fortunately for his dignity, Todoroki noted, his team had already long since left his side in search of food. They may have been useful allies and were each uniquely powerful or talented within their realms of specialty, but the last thing he wanted right now was to deal with any potential inquiries as to why he'd been under the scrutinizing gaze of the number two hero.

He looked towards the three of them. Approaching the tunnel leading to the exit of the arena, they seemed to have already ended up alongside Team Takara. Aoyama, ever the egotist, looked like he was ranting about something ego-inflating, but the rest of the group passed by in short order. The one general studies student among them kept towards the back and ended up near Jiro and a still-recovering Kaminari, but the trio seemed to more or less not notice each other. Nishimura glued the group together, already having struck up a conversation with Iida and Yaoyorozu about something doubtlessly unimportant and irrelevant. Takara simply let herself be pulled along by Nishimura, which led Todoroki to assume that she was content with both her team's standing and her present company.

Out of all of them, Takara was the only one that had caught his eye. She wasn't someone he interacted with much – he didn't interact with _anyone _in 1-A much, and for good reason – but she, specifically, had earned his attention. Out of everyone that had evaded his initial freeze during the obstacle race, her circumventing the whole thing by launching herself over it and quite literally riding it out was impressive, but…

It was her Quirk's _flames _that got to him.

She used them freely. From what he could infer, she used them just like any of the other elements her Quirk's 'modes' enabled her to manipulate, and she used them without any indecision. Back when he had noticed her using her fire against one of the 1-B students on Team McKennan, he couldn't help but wonder for a moment if he was staring into a warped mirror of himself – an unburdened, and utterly _free _mirror of himself. He wondered if she just used fire as another extension of herself, like the other elements, or if she saw any significance in the flames she could cast forth, as he did his.

Or rather, the flames he _couldn't _cast forth. Not due to any dysfunction of his Quirk, but due to his vow never to use them.

He was the fourth and youngest of the Todoroki household. He was purposefully born and bred to have the perfect combination of his mother's ice and his father's flames, just so that Endeavor could pass on his grudge against All Might onto another, more powerful version of what he hoped would be himself. The mentally abusive pile of shit who dared to call himself a hero hadn't wanted another child.

He wanted a weapon.

For that reason, for the innumerable other sins he'd committed against his family, Todoroki had _sworn _never to use his left side to attack. Only to thaw his ice, and even then, he'd only ever call upon it after any given fight was over and done with.

Thus, he saw Takara as a mirror, but that was where he wished for his perception of her person and her Quirk to end. She would be a mirror. A reflection. A sick joke thrown at him by the hand of fate. She couldn't affect him.

Or at least, he hoped not.

Nevertheless, she was someone who had proven worthy of note. He'd devote memory to her and her Quirk, but never go so far as to seek her out to save himself the trouble.

Midoriya on the other hand… he wasn't a mirror. He was like a match to his kindling. In the middle of his desperate defense of the ten million points against Midoriya and his teammates, Midoriya had gotten him to use his flames.

Just like Endeavor would've wanted.

It may have been involuntary, it may have been a knee-jerk reaction to try and get Midoriya to back off, but the fact remained that it had _happened. _The moment his back was against the immovable wall that was Midoriya's sheer drive to succeed, he'd lost control, and in doing so became _less. _He turned himself from a person into the weapon, the object, the _thing _that Endeavor had forced into existence and had wanted Shoto to be all along, and the fact Midoriya had been the one to make him do so just made that realization sting even more.

Midoriya was the one closest to All Might. He was the one that had the number one hero in his corner, pulling him away from everyone else to talk during lunch about who-knows-what. It didn't matter what they talked about – the simple truth was that in All Might's taking an interest in Midoriya, he had turned one of his students into a sort of facsimile of himself, and thus, into a target that Todoroki simply _had _to overcome.

He'd made his declaration of war against Midoriya to give himself no other choice than to do so. If he could defeat Midoriya without using his left side… he'd be able to show in that action proof that he could definitively reject his father's influence, and be the hero that _he _wanted to be.

It'd be the ultimate act of spite against Endeavor.

He'd finally be free.

But until that happened, another thought related to his two peers popped into his head. They had something in common. They shared something between them beyond their typically agreeable natures and both their Quirks having some form of backlash involved with them. They both didn't hesitate. Even when they _knew _they were at a disadvantage, they didn't hesitate.

In this regard, they were unlike him. The comparisons he could draw from there stirred up… unpleasant feelings in his gut.

His eyes clenched shut. He needed to refocus. If the third event was going to be the last one, and he was going to take down Midoriya, he would at least let him know _why _he made that goal so clear in the first place. After what he'd inadvertently made him do at the end of the cavalry battle, he thought that much would only be appropriate.

He made his way over to where Midoriya stood, still staring up in disbelief at the emptying stands overhead, and set a hand on his shoulder. The boy jolted and turned his head around, but Todoroki said only one thing before he could respond.

"We need to talk."

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Well then. Team McKennan vs Takara was **_**far **_**easier to write for me than Team Takara vs Kodai was, so here's to hoping you guys all enjoyed it, too!**

**Fun fact, I actually intended Thad to be just another horse on Team Tetsutetsu and then I was like… **_**wait but his Quirk though. **_**It let me make the fight more compelling (hopefully) **_**and **_**hint at both his and Jean's Quirks throughout these two chapters! Those two continue to become more and more lovely quasi-irrelevant OCs that I can't help but find a special place in my heart for moving forward. One day they'll get their time in the sun… one day. But hey! For now, at least they'll have their cameos whenever 1-B crops up, which, to be fair, isn't **_**too **_**infrequently, y'know?**

**Anyway! Akiko and co. are on good terms and filled with good feels, Todoroki remains a broody teenager who would genuinely have a point if he were to ever say 'I didn't ask to be born, Dad!,' and the world keeps spinning. Until next time, sports fans!**

**Wait.**


	24. Tournament Time

It was as Jomei sat down and started digging into his rice bowl in earnest that he gave the Sports Festival's cafeteria a once-over. Aoyama's absence was probably due to the sudden burst of nausea he'd had from using his Quirk too much. Shinso was also nowhere to be seen, but closer to the lunch line, Ashido and Akiko were speaking to one another. He assumed they were talking about their cavalry battle performances, but the sight reminded him that although Akiko wasn't quite exceedingly outgoing, she still had other people beyond their shared circle to keep her company. Oddly enough, Jomei was thankful for these few minutes alone his teammates' temporary absence provided him with.

In his eyes, Aoyama could take his ego as far away from him as he wished, and he'd be nothing but grateful for the distance. Jomei liked to think he could make friends with a lot of different kinds of people, and perhaps Aoyama could be such a person, but with the Sports Festival going on right now, turning the attention-whoring Frenchman into a friend of his was _below _the bottom of his priority list.

Just then, he caught another of Ashido's exuberant exclamations of excitement about the cavalry battle over the din of the cafeteria. It spurred him to do some analysis of the matter himself while he still had a quiet moment.

He started with the more obvious observations – ones about _his _team. Aoyama, for all his pomp and self-importance, had fulfilled his duty selflessly. Considering the nausea he was now feeling as a consequence of his Quirk's overuse, it was evident that he could _sometimes _discern when to put a lid on his exhausting persona. He'd been one of the cornerstones of their team's strategy, and even if he hadn't had as much opportunity to shine as Akiko or himself, the power behind Aoyama's Quirk was certainly not to be taken lightly.

The same went for Shinso. Granted, Jomei may have already seen what someone under the spell of his Quirk looked like when he came along with Aoyama, but seeing how Shinso went about triggering his Quirk in the middle of the competition was something else. The stoic, lonely boy that Jomei associated more with Aizawa-like aloofness than anything turned into a confident and scarily competent opponent when he was let loose, and Jomei considered himself all too lucky to have Shinso on _his _side as a result. Taking away someone's autonomy with nothing but a few simple words… Shinso's was a power that could single-handedly turn the tide of battle.

Which was why it was even more of a shame that he didn't get the chance to join the hero course in the beginning.

That said, he still thought Akiko and himself were just as pivotal to their team's performance as Aoyama and Shinso were. The latter pair's Quirks may have had power behind them, sure, but it wasn't like his or Akiko's were lacking. Noble Gases had the capacity for sheer power, even if Jomei avoided using it at its maximum all the time, and during the cavalry battle, its sheer capacity for utility had played a vital role in obtaining Team Kodai's headband. It was a consistent and reliable power, as opposed to Akiko's Crystal Core, which could only be used for powerful attacks or techniques for so long before the strain on its user outweighed its benefits. Still, Akiko had used what life had handed her to the best extent she could, and the fruits of her labors were never more evident than how they'd gotten Team Takara into the final stage.

Yet despite how incredible his team's Quirks were, they still had _so much _potential to grow.

And the sentiment didn't end at Team Takara.

Class 1-A at large had plenty of potential. People like Denki, Ashido, Kirishima, and especially Bakugo, loathe as Jomei was to admit it, were equally as powerful in their own rights as he was – all of them also making it into the final round of the festival was a testament to that much. Each one of them had persevered and used their Quirks to their utmost capacity, even if Jomei hadn't been able to see any of it, but that knowledge alone was enough to remind him of why he'd been so eager to train on his days off from school in the first place. U.A. was the best hero academy in Japan, and everything the Class 1-A students did, knowingly or not, always embodied its motto of 'plus ultra.'

Of course, Class 1-B had talent too. In fact, Jomei had to say that from what he saw, they were downright amazing in some respects. Class 1-B had a level of cohesion and unity that 1-A just couldn't seem to match. Granted, Tetsutetsu was the only frame of reference Jomei had for this assumption at first, but before the cavalry battle's start, it seemed as though 1-B was much faster to form their teams than anyone else. Add in the talent and diverse Quirks he and his team had to face off against when they fought Kodai and Thad's teams, and Class 1-B had well and truly proven that they weren't a group to be taken lightly. Even if none of them had made it into the third stage, Jomei knew this was true.

If nothing else, their spirits seemed to have a knack for staying high. Thad and Jean had recently emerged from the lunch line, and from outward appearances, one wouldn't be able to tell that they'd both suffered such harsh defeats only a little while prior. Jean was jaunty and jubilant and completely herself next to Thad, so it wasn't much of a jump to assume she'd very quickly gotten over whatever consternation she may not have even felt about her loss. Thad was… inexpressive, as always.

One day Jomei would be able to comprehend how he remained so calm all the time.

Regardless, for foreign-exchange students, they were undoubtedly impressive, and they and 1-B at large made him wonder what exactly the other hero course was up to. What was Thad and Jean's homeland like? Why had 1-B been chosen for the foreign exchange program in the first place? The list went on. Of course, not many of these questions would ever be answered, but Jomei was more than content to wonder.

Before he could busy himself with any more endless musings, though, Jomei noticed Shinso as he emerged from the lunch line. He carried a steaming hot bowl of beef stew, and it looked like he was going to pass by his table entirely before Jomei finally raised a hand to get his attention.

"Hey Shinso," he started, but paused to swallow the rice in his mouth. "How about you sit down here with me?"

Shinso's brow raised slightly. "No offense Nishimura, but I think I'll have to pass. You were good during the cavalry battle, there's no denying that, but I don't think you're the kind of guy I'd hang out with…"

In the back of Jomei's mind something clicked that kept him from believing Shinso's statement. It was clearly an excuse he was trying to use to get Jomei off his back. Unfortunately for him, Jomei was well-versed in reading people that after the time they'd already spent together, he could already tell how flimsy his attempt at deflection was. He couldn't assume anything about Shinso's life in general studies, but he could reasonably assume that Shinso's idea of someone he'd 'like to' hang out with didn't really exist.

So he called him out on it.

"Who would be, then?"

Shinso looked away, suddenly disarmed.

"Listen, Shinso," Jomei continued, "I know I'm not Akiko, and we aren't on a first-name basis or anything, but trust me. Akiko's both of our friends, she's going to be here soon, and if you don't believe _me _when I say sitting down with me won't kill you, believe _her. _You've seen who she is deep down, so trust her judgment when it comes to me, eh?"

"Besides," a feminine voice joined in, "this is sort of the first time we've had the chance to sit down together."

Shinso looked up. "Akiko."

"I mean it when I say it'd be nice to get to know you a little better, Hitoshi. Besides," she slipped onto the side of the table opposite Jomei, taking her noodles with her. "If you don't think Jomei is someone you'd like to hang out with, how about me? We're friends, right?"

"Yeah… we are."

Shinso finally relented, and as he sat next to Akiko and they started eating their food, Jomei smiled. Not only had Akiko impressed him once again with her sociability, but now he finally had a chance to pick at Shinso's brain in conversation as opposed to during the blood-pumping events of the festival.

"So how'd you get away from the girls?"

She swallowed. "Mhm. Don't get me wrong, I really do like them, but sometimes Ashido and Hagakure alone can be a little exhausting. It's nice to talk to them sometimes, and Yaoyorozu's super nice and smart, but six other people around me's still a little too much."

"So you have a certain kind of situation you're more comfortable in during lunch…?" Shinso droned.

"Don't we all?" Akiko said sweetly but with a pointed stare back at their companion. Jomei simply smiled at his rice.

"Point taken," Shinso conceded.

Akiko's smile softened and she turned again toward Jomei. "Though I will say that Ashido wanting to gossip about me and you definitely made it much easier to leave."

"How's Kyoka?" Jomei asked. "I haven't been able to talk to her since before the cavalry battle."

"Frustrated. Broody. I got a chance to ask her if she would be okay, since she's the only one out of the four of us that didn't make it into the finals, but she said she'd get over it." Akiko's expression grew a little hopeful. "She even said she'd be cheering both of us on – Denki, too."

"Who are these people?" Shinso asked.

"Jiro Kyoka and Kaminari Denki," Jomei explained. "They're friends of ours. You've probably seen them around, too – Kyoka has earphone jacks coming from her earlobes, Denki has a lightning-shaped highlight in his hair; they're pretty easy to recognize."

"You guys must be pretty close, then."

Akiko nodded. "They were the first people that reached out to us when the school year started, and they saved our lives back at the USJ towards the end of it all. Denki was the one who put us all on a first-name basis from day one. Still trying to figure out if he had a good feeling about us or if he just doesn't care about formality."

"Probably both," Shinso guessed.

Shinso started to idly stir and stare into his beef stew, and Jomei decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. After all, he wanted to learn more about him_. _Akiko had saved his life, counted him as a friend, and seemed to be the first person Shinso went to when he had something important to say, and yet they both knew so little about him.

He was an enigma well worth solving, though.

"True," Jomei agreed, and he angled his chopsticks away from his meal. "But hey, enough about us – what's up with you, Shinso? What's life in general studies like?"

Shinso's eyes raised to meet his. "As one of the many people who wanted to get into the hero course but failed for whatever reason… it's underwhelming."

Without another word, Shinso turned his attention back to his soup. Jomei blinked, while Akiko remained completely silent. "Anything else, though? There's got to be more to it than being 'underwhelming,' I mean, it's still a course at _U.A., _even if it isn't involved with hero work."

"I didn't come and sit down with you guys to exposit about myself, you know." Shinso suddenly sat up a little straighter and grabbed his tray. "If you're expecting me to go on a tangent about my life just because the festival's on pause, then maybe this was a mistake…"

"Hey," Akiko cut in before he could stand, casting a brief glare in Jomei's direction. "Please don't go? Jomei sometimes gets carried away with these sorts of questions, but I know he didn't mean to pry. We're just both really interested in learning more about you, is all."

"A lot of people have tried to be friendly with me in the past…" Shinso said, but he relaxed back into his seat.

"And then they found out about your Quirk," Jomei guessed.

His lack of a response was all the answer Jomei needed.

"Well, that's fine by me," Jomei said easily. "Whatever you want to tell me or Akiko is totally up to you, but I'm sure that I speak for us both when I say we'd both be willing to hear you out if you ever wanted to talk."

Akiko nodded. "Right."

"But anyway, I still am genuinely curious about what the other courses are like," Jomei continued. "The hero course has a lot of core classes, sure, but I can't imagine that it's all that similar to the other three programs. Combat training every day is super important if we want to become pros, sure, but I figure it's gotta leave a gap between us and everyone else somewhere along the line."

Shinso nodded slightly. "You're right about that, Nishimura. I don't know much about what the support or business departments do, but I can tell you a lot about general studies. It isn't bad,by any means. The teachers are alright enough, and the coursework keeps us up to our necks in studying, but the curriculum isn't quite what you'd expect going in."

"Why's that?" Akiko asked.

"Most people who don't do their research into U.A.'s general studies department would only think that it's all about standard education. I'll admit that I was one of them, and I was one of the very many failed hero course students that were shocked when we found out what our new course _really _let us do," Shinso paused for a spoonful of his stew. "One of the focuses is on helping students prepare to get into university, but it also focuses on the potential applications of our Quirks in society."

Jomei squinted. "I'm not following. Do you mean the applications of Quirks _outside _of the hero scene?"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Shinso said. "Most of the time, getting a license to use your Quirk professionally takes a mountain of red-tape and experimentation at home so you can figure out what your Quirk's actually good for. The general studies course offers a chance for people, if they can figure out how to make their Quirk useful, to fast-track you through all that before you even hit university. For a lot of people, that saves them money and time, and gives them a big mark on their resumes. Most people don't realize it, but having your Quirk licensed before you even get some college under your belt is almost as big an upside as attending U.A. in the first place."

"And here my dad had to go through hell to get his license…"

"He _did _have a record of noise complaints under his belt," Akiko smirked. "I think anyone would be hesitant to give Synth an official right to use his Quirk when he was still starting out."

"Who?" Shinso asked.

"Right, you probably don't know who he is, unless you're into techno – my dad's a traveling DJ. Used to be pretty small-time when he started out, and was middle-of-the-pack for years, but he's getting a lot more traction after he performed with the number one guy in the genre," Jomei explained. "He had trouble getting his Quirk licensed is all that matters."

Shinso gave a simple shrug. "The number of people trying to get into this school for the hero course but ending up getting dumped into general studies versus those genuinely trying to get into the school just to get licensed isn't exactly equal, you realize that, right?"

"Well, it's unfair I think." Akiko had that look on her face she always got in the face of some perceived injustice. Jomei loved it. "It sounds like a lot of people in general studies just ended up there instead of going to another hero academy, out of obligation."

"That may be the case, but I'm not paying attention to anyone in my class enough to tell if that's the only reason they're pissed at the hero course. Some of them are warming up to the idea of getting licensed for non-hero work, though."

"Fair enough," Jomei tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "But hey, do you have any friends there? If so many are in the same boat when it comes to wanting to transfer into the hero course, there's got to be some people you've gotten to know."

Shinso made a noncommittal noise. "Yes and no. I can hold a conversation with some of my classmates, but it's not like I'm going to go out of my way to find them and chat. Aside from the people who wanted to get into general studies from the start, it feels like that sort of holds up for everyone. Either you're all sunshine and roses or you're slowly warming up to where U.A.'s shoved you."

"Not you, though," Akiko said. "You've got willpower and cleverness on your side, and you're fighting to make your dream of becoming a hero a reality. I think it's admirable."

For a brief handful of seconds, Shinso's expression softened. "Thanks. But… what about you guys and Class 1-A?" He asked, alternating between looking at both of them. "Are all of you as buddy-buddy as 1-B looked like they were with each other?"

"Kind of…?" Jomei squinted. "Obviously I don't know a lot about 1-B, but our class definitely has some cliques in it. The girls hang out together sometimes, but there are others too. Iida, Midoriya, and Uraraka tend to hang out a lot, I've seen Kirishima with Bakugo sometimes, Yaoyorozu seems to be one of the only people Todoroki will talk to – I could go on, but you get the picture."

"And I'm guessing you two have your own group, too."

"Yeah, with Kyoka and Denki. It was kind of accidental, really, but it's not like we don't get along. Kyoka teases Denki tons but he never gets genuinely angry at her for it, and we all have things in common. We all like music, me and Kyoka especially, Denki evidently likes literature so he and Akiko can talk all day about that, all that jazz."

Jomei lifted his rice bowl to his lips, using his chopsticks to shovel the last of his food down when Shinso spoke up again. Shinso pointed with his spoon over his shoulder. "So am I right then in assuming that short guy is part of your clique?"

He lowered his bowl, and as he leaned over to see past Shinso, Jomei did a double-take. A couple of meters away from them was none other than Mineta, but the weirder part of the scene before him was the fact that _Denki _was there with him.

Before Jomei or Akiko could question why he was associating with the pervert, Denki split off from Mineta. Mineta himself continued in the direction of the girls' table, where he struck up a conversation with Yaoyorozu. He was smiling, but he was clearly hiding something behind his grin, sweat slightly beading up around his temple. The image set alarm bells off in the back of Jomei's head.

"No," Jomei finally answered. "No, Mineta isn't part of our clique _at all. _The only thing they have in common is that they're into girls, but at least Denki has some tact about it. Mineta's just a creep!"

Akiko held herself close. "Don't remind me…"

Over at the girls' table, Yaoyorozu's brow furrowed, and Mineta turned around with a thinly-veiled smug look hidden behind his smirk. After a few more words, Mineta walked away with his food toward an empty table, and an uneasy expression crossed Akiko's face.

"He certainly looks satisfied with himself," Shinso pointed out.

"But if he's happy…" Akiko trailed off.

Jomei sighed and set his empty bowl down with a thud. "There's going to be trouble. Bet on it. Shinso?"

"Hm?"

"Your Quirk lets you control people completely, right?" He asked. "Can't we, you know… use it on Mineta so we can get him to talk about what he's up to?"

"No."

Jomei's eyes widened slightly. "Really? I mean, I know Mineta. That rat bastard's plotting something completely messed up, no doubt about it. Wouldn't it be better to be safe?"

"No, I mean that I _can't _use my Quirk to get him to spill," Shinso clarified. "I told you guys about some of my Quirk's limitations before, but those aren't the only ones. My Quirk also can't take advantage of higher brain functions like planning or the recollection of names, so having me use it on him would get nothing done. In fact, it'd only raise the chances that someone in 1-A will figure out my Quirk and ruin my chances in the next round."

Jomei's shoulders slouched. "So we can't get Mineta to tell us what he's up to…"

"Whatever happened to just asking him?" Shinso deadpanned, clearly unimpressed.

"Good idea," Jomei said. "You have this whole stoic exterior thing down pat, and I think you could still be intimidating enough if you were to meet him somewhere at random. We could use that to our advantage and bluff about what he can do."

"Intimidation?" Shinso's brow raised, but he smirked. "Doesn't sound very hero-like…"

"Against Mineta, and for the sake of making sure he doesn't get anything he wants out of some shady interaction with the rest of the girls, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," Jomei stated.

"I really shouldn't be letting you guys do this…" Akiko said. "But I'm not going to lie and say that I'm okay with Mineta doing something creepy or violating the girls' dignity either."

"We're going to have to get him somewhere private, like the bathroom, but we also need bait…" Jomei looked mischievously towards Akiko. "Feel like playing along to get Mineta to follow me into the bathroom? I'm thinking the perfect little white lie from me would be just the thing to get him right where we want him."

"Sure," Akiko smirked. "Just don't get too creative with what you tell him?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jomei stood, and Shinso followed. "Shinso, you meet me in the bathroom. Akiko can wait here for one of us to tell her what's going on, and I'll head on over to bait Mineta."

Both nodded, and Shinso sauntered off in the direction of the men's restroom. Akiko gave Jomei an encouraging smile and he set out to where Mineta was sitting. Every step closer toward the pervert offered him new insight into the details of Mineta's expression, and his suspicion was only heightened at how utterly neutral that expression was. Someone who didn't know him would've even thought he was simply another student enjoying his food and not an abhorrent, girl-crazy lunatic.

As fate would have it though, Jomei _did _know him.

Mineta turned at his arrival. "Oh hey, Nishimura, what's-"

"Shh!" Jomei hushed him and sat down. He looked both ways as if to check if the coast was clear, and leaned in conspiratorially as he subtly pointed at Akiko. "You know how me and Akiko are a thing now, right? You have a lot of experience with women, right? I wanted to ask you for some advice."

Mineta's eyes flashed. "You've come to the right man. Go on…"

Jomei schooled his features into the sleaziest look he could manage while still being convincing. "I wanted to know your secrets to taking things further, if you know what I mean." He paused to watch Mineta's expression, which was becoming more lascivious by the second. "I already have some pretty juicy stories, but I don't really know how to move past where we are now."

Mineta looked about ready to drool. "Go on…"

"You want me to tell you about what me and her have done?" He forced himself to give a convincing smirk. "I could tell you all about it, but I think we need to go somewhere a bit more private."

"I underestimated you, Nishimura…" Mineta said admiringly. "Playing the nice guy game isn't all that rewarding since it's such a long con, but it looks like it's finally working out for you big time with Takara… so count me in. Where do you have in mind to talk?"

Jomei tried to keep his lunch from coming up at the thought of sharing anything with the creep, but he kept his expression as sleazy as he could. "I was thinking the bathroom down the hall would be fine."

Mineta slid down from his seat, and Jomei gestured for him to lead the way. He nodded firmly, and as Jomei followed in step behind him and he finally allowed his sleazy mask to crack.

_'Good job Mineta. You just fell for our trap, hook, line, and sinker. Now it's about time you get what you deserve for thinking I'd tell you _anything _about Akiko. Oh, and for perving on all the other girls too, of course.'_

* * *

They walked into the nigh-on empty bathroom, and Jomei sensed the exact moment Mineta's excited expectations turned to fear. One look at Shinso was all it took.

One moment Mineta was on top of the world with the knowledge he was about to get the scoop of the century, and the next, he was completely petrified. Jomei locked the door and leaned against it, blocking Mineta's only escape route back to the cafeteria.

Mineta spun toward Jomei at the click of the lock and then back to Shinso, who returned his terror-stricken stare with an eerily chilling expression. Shinso wasn't exactly a big guy, but his presence was formidable. The shadows that hung over his eyes made it terrifyingly clear that he wasn't someone that should be challenged.

Which Mineta had inadvertently done.

"Uhh…" Mineta took a step back nervously. "Nishimura? Who uh, w-who's that guy?"

"Oh, him? Can't say I know his name, but I know his reputation. You might've seen him walk out with the general studies guys, but don't let that fool you. I think they actually didn't let him into the hero course because he was _too _violent – like, makes Bakugo seem _tame _violent." He smirked. "Might not wanna piss him off."

Mineta whirled around, his fear momentarily forgotten. "Wait a sec! You didn't bring me here to talk about Takara at all! You bastard! And here I thought you were a man of class, Nishimura!"

The single step Shinso took forward echoed throughout the empty restroom. That simple sound caused Mineta to face him again in an instant, his tiny body quivering.

"Maybe," Jomei deflected. "But you might not want to turn your back on him either. I get the feeling he doesn't like to be ignored. Not given what we brought you here for."

"So you two are in league…? Well, whatever you're planning, it isn't going to work! You wouldn't dare let him attack me, and unless this guy's really some villain in disguise, he wouldn't either! Not unless you want to get expelled!" Mineta reasoned. "So… give up!"

"Are you willing to risk that?" Shinso's voice was threateningly calm. Mineta froze.

Shinso idly rolled his neck. "Make your choice. I'm getting bored."

Mineta suddenly let out a terrified cry and stumbled back into the wall to Jomei's left, his mouth agape in horror. "I give up! Whatever you want Nishimura, I'll do it, but just keep that _guy _away from _meeeeee!_"

"Sure," Jomei said simply.

With a nod in his direction, Shinso strode towards the door, but he paused to glare back over his shoulder at Mineta. "Consider this your only warning. Don't make him bother me again because you didn't keep your word. I might take it out on you."

Jomei blocked the door again as it shut.

"Okay, Mineta…" Jomei looked down at him as his tension faded without Shinso around. "I'm going to only ask this once – I saw you talking to the girls out there about something. You're going to tell me what you were talking to them about."

"Talk about being a white knight…" Mineta murmured.

"I can still go get the other guy, if you don't want to talk-"

"_Wait!_" Mineta interrupted. "Okay, okay! I talked to the girls to convince them that they had to wear cheerleader uniforms for a cheer competition coming up after lunch!"

Jomei tightened a hand into a white-knuckled fist. He finally had his answer. What Mineta was planning was _sick, _on so many levels. It'd humiliate all the girls right before some of them had to participate in the final stage of the festival, turning heroes-in-training into little more than eye-candy for millions of sick jerks like Mineta to stare at. More importantly, though, if Mineta had gotten away with his plan, _Akiko _would've been a victim of that utter depravity too. Considering she'd only recently started to see her body in a slightly more positive light barely two weeks ago, being turned into little more than fanservice for Mineta's sick pleasure…

It took everything Jomei had in him not to kick Mineta through the bathroom wall at that moment.

He took a steadying breath. "Okay… but how the _hell _did you convince all of them to do that? Yaoyorozu's vice rep, so she'd know about a cheer competition coming up before anyone."

"I told them Aizawa-sensei told me to give them the news. Yaoyorozu wouldn't question anything if it was coming from one of the teachers, and with there being talk about other girls in cheerleader uniforms already being here, it was a pretty easy sell."

_'Well, that settles that. But still…'_

"That doesn't explain why Denki was with you earlier, though."

"Kaminari? What-" Mineta paused. "Oh! Right, I forgot! He was in on it too!"

Jomei stopped. That didn't sound like Denki at all, but… would Mineta dare lie now? He let a long exhale punch from his lips, and turned around to grip the door handle as he prepared to leave. There was nothing else to gain here now, and Denki being in league with Mineta's sick joke of a plan wasn't something he had to handle now.

"What now…?" Mineta asked.

Jomei paused as he opened the door. "What happens now is that you stop trying to pull this _bullshit _and stay away from the girls. Honestly, I almost wish you made it through to the final stage so someone could kick your ass without having to feel bad."

He started walking away, off to inform Akiko, but heard Mineta whisper under his breath. "As if you could make me stop…"

_'One of these days, Mineta. One of these days…'_

* * *

Akiko hurriedly made her way through the halls to the girl's locker room, her chest tight with a mix of indignation and embarrassment by proxy of what she knew her peers were almost certainly doing right now.

She'd been informed by Jomei about what had happened, of course. He'd told her the same as Hitoshi had of how quickly Mineta buckled, but he also told her exactly what Mineta had been planning all along. It obviously didn't seem unlike the deviant to come up with such a plan, but it shocked her all the same. She wasn't naive enough to believe that there wouldn't be some people like Mineta in U.A., seeing as everyone attending were all teenagers, but she never expected someone like him to go _through _with such a plan. In her opinion, trying to get all the girls in one's class to dress in cheerleader uniforms that showed off an uncomfortable amount of skin wasn't just perverted, it was revolting.

She wondered what would happen if he continued crossing the line. He'd get beaten down by the other sensible boys in Class 1-A, she was sure of that, but it was up to them to decide if that beatdown was verbal or more… physical. Considering she and Jomei were dating, and he and Mineta were already not on good footing, she concluded that her partner would be firmly in the latter camp when the time came to show Mineta 'the error of his ways.'

She could only hope that day in the future was rather far off; after all, Jomei assaulting Mineta during the Sports Festival probably wouldn't fly, perversion punishment or not. Even if hearing he'd finally gotten his just desserts would be undoubtedly rather cathartic, that wasn't something Akiko wanted Jomei risking right now.

For now, though, she had a job to do. She had to deliver the news of the lecherous plot the rest of the girls had gotten roped into before they ended up humiliating themselves live on Japan's biggest annual broadcast. After that, she'd regroup with Hitoshi and Jomei when lunch ended on their way back onto the field, and no one would be any the wiser as to what the three of them had swiftly worked to avoid. They'd be unsung heroes, obviously, but it was worth it.

The door to the locker room came into view, and Akiko stepped through not a moment too soon.

There before her, Kyoka and the rest of the girls in Class 1-A stood in various stages of undress, taking off and folding up their sports uniforms as they prepared to slip into the cheerleader uniforms strewn about the room. The fading pink glow on Yaoyorozu's bare thigh as she prepared and set aside her own uniform told Akiko all she needed to know of their source, but for a long moment, she was frozen in place. For all the urgency that'd helped expedite her trip to the girl's locker room, she'd never thought about what she would even _say _to break the news to them.

What should she say? 'Oh hey, sorry about this, but you were all tricked by Mineta into wearing skimpy uniforms so he could get a sick thrill out of staring at you,' didn't exactly let any of them down gently.

Of course, it also just felt awkward for Akiko to go ahead and walk in on her half-naked peers when they were changing. Even if it wasn't anything new, she had _never _gotten used to seeing other girls her age clad in so little as they changed so casually around her. Yet another thing she owed to the legacy of her negative body image, she supposed.

As she fought to find words, Yaoyorozu noticed her and beat her to the punch.

"Oh, Takara, you're here just in time." She turned to face her as she slipped into her flattering orange cheerleader top with U.A.'s name stamped across it in green. "We were recently informed that there's a cheerleading competition coming up after lunch and we were just about to go out and find you. Of course, we didn't want to intrude upon your meal, so we were going to wait until later, but seeing as you're here now..."

Akiko found her voice as Yaoyorozu handed her a uniform. "Oh, no you don't understand, this isn't necessary-"

"I was of a similar mind," Yaoyorozu sighed wistfully. "Sadly, from what I understand, the orders came straight from Aizawa-sensei, so no matter how odd the suddenness of the event may be, we're somewhat obligated to participate."

Uraraka appeared next to her as she finished adjusting her top. "I thought it was kind of weird too, but who knows? Maybe it's just that between Aizawa-sensei recovering and preparing us for the Sports Festival we weren't told in time! Besides, it could be fun! Or at least, it could help some of us take our minds off the final stage, you know?"

"No, I mean that…" Akiko hesitated, her features scrunching before she finally decided to bite the bullet. "This whole 'cheer competition' isn't real. Mineta just tricked you into thinking it was by lying about Aizawa-sensei. I know because Mineta fessed up himself."

There was a brief delay before any of the girls reacted, and in that brief moment, Akiko braced herself with an apologetic look and tensed shoulders.

Kyoka was the first to recover from processing the news, kicking the lockers next to her before throwing away her pom-poms. "_Ugh! _First I don't get through the cavalry battle and then Mineta pulls _this_ _crap!? _I hate that guy!"

Hagakure's arms merely fell, as indicated by her pom-poms' movement. "Oh… it was all one big prank, huh? Dang it… and I really liked these costumes!"

"You were _excited _about this?!" Kyoka gaped.

"Well, yeah! I was kinda looking forward to rolling with the whole cheer competition and showing off my school spirit! Isn't there a chance we can still-"

"_No way._"

Hagakure sighed. "Oh well. Worth a try!"

Yaoyorozu defeatedly fell to her knees. "Why is it that I always end up falling for that little pervert's stupid schemes…? I even used my Quirk to make these outfits…"

"Yeah…" Ashido knelt next to her and patted her back. "We _probably _should have seen this coming, since it was Mineta who told us about this… at least we were warned in time!"

"That doesn't bring back my dignity…" Yaoyorozu stood and stripped off her top to begin changing back into her sports uniform. She paused and faced Akiko. "Regardless of me falling for Mineta's plan… I thank you, Takara. I can't imagine how mortifying it would have been to end up going through with his trick…"

Akiko turned her head slightly away to avoid looking at the vice rep's nearly bare bust. "It's not a problem. Really. I'm just doing what I can to look out for you all, like I would anyone else."

"Still," Tsuyu began. "You said that Mineta told you himself that he was trying to trick us, Takara. How'd you get him to talk?"

Akiko chuckled nervously. "Yeah, about that…"

Suddenly, the lunch bell rang, and Akiko breathed a sigh of relief. Saved by the bell in the most literal of ways. With a wave and a goodbye, she quickly left the rest of the girls to their own devices and started in the direction of the tunnels leading back to the arena.

Her mission had been a success, and the final stage of the Sports Festival was on the horizon.

It was time to get her head back in the game.

* * *

True to her word, Akiko promptly rejoined Jomei and Shinso soon after the lunch bell rang, intercepting them on their way to the field. Granted, this didn't surprise Jomei, since he didn't exactly expect Akiko to go missing on her mission down the hall, but what _did _surprise him was the slight blush on her cheeks he saw when she returned. Shinso either didn't notice or didn't care to comment, and kept in silent step beside him, but Jomei couldn't help but wonder what had triggered such a reaction out of his girlfriend. After all, she'd been doing amazing thus far in terms of confidence, so for something to affect her like this…

Then he remembered where exactly she'd had to go to so that she could warn the other girls.

Wisely, Jomei didn't question her fluster any further.

Nonetheless, he then focused his mental efforts to psyching himself back up. The final stage would be starting soon, and even if Present Mic would undoubtedly infect him with as much excitement as he did the people watching the festival, it couldn't hurt to help speed up the process. With a full stomach and spirits still high from the last two stages and his interaction with Mineta, he felt ready to take on the world.

He still had one thing in mind from that last success though. He needed to confront Denki when he saw him again. Mineta was a conniving bastard when it came to the girls, sure, but he didn't have any reason to lie and throw Denki under the bus, not when he was so completely terrified of Shinso. Jomei would get answers soon, and he hoped they'd be ones that wouldn't harm the friendship Denki had created between them.

As the trio stepped into the steadily-filling arena, Present Mic's voice flooded out from above to meet them. _"Get those foam fingers in the air, because it's almost time for the next _round!_" _he warbled. _"But before that, good news for everyone that didn't make it into the finals! Since this _is _a sports festival, we've prepared some super-fun side-games that everyone can participate in! We even brought cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping!"_

Jomei's eyes wandered to his left, and it was true. A dozen cheerleaders stood clad in uniforms with the American flag printed upon them, and they were coordinated in their shouts and gestures of encouragement to the point of perfection. The more impressive thing though was that they were cheering in fluent Japanese.

_'They sure take cheerleading seriously, I guess…'_

Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed Jean jolt as she saw the cheerleaders. In fact, it looked like if it weren't for Thad grabbing onto the shoulder of her jacket in time she would've run off in their direction. But Jean let herself be dragged onward as she shouted encouragement back at her countrymen.

_"So have fun competing in these little side-games everyone! After they're over, the 16 players of the top four teams will fight in a one-on-one style fighting competition! I promise you aren't gonna wanna miss these epic matchups!"_

"So one-on-one fighting is the final competition…" Jomei whispered to himself. "Lot of chances to make yourself stand out, and all eyes are going to only be on you and one other person. You can't ask for a better shot at making yourself stand out, Jomei, so make it count."

When he started paying attention to his surroundings again, Class 1-A had reassembled before the platform Midnight stood over. The rest of the first-years were among them too, but the only other person Jomei took note of outside his class was Shinso, and while he was still nearby, he was closer to his own class than he was to Jomei and Akiko. Jomei assumed this was his way of trying to blend in and avoid being seen for as long as he deemed necessary.

As they waited for Midnight to begin, Kirishima spoke up, quivering with excitement. "Aw man, finally getting the chance to show what we're made of! I've watched these finals every year and now I'm finally in them!"

Ashido poked her head over his shoulder. "Wait, so is it _always _a tournament?"

"Well, kind of," Akiko said. "It's always a one-on-one competition of some kind but they switch it up every time so that you never know what to expect."

"Last year it was a foam sword fighting match…" Jomei recalled with a smirk.

"No wonder I blanked out on that one…" Ashido said. "Huh."

"_Alright!_" Midnight called. "Will the top four teams' players be so kind as to come closer? You'll all be drawing lots to see who you're up against for the first round of the final stage!" She held up a yellow box. "Then enjoy the pleasure of the recreational games before we start! The 16 finalists have the option of participating in these games or sitting out to prepare for battle. I'm sure you _all _want to conserve your stamina… now I'll start with the first place team! Come on up!"

And thus, throughout the next couple of minutes, the first match-ups were decided upon and then unveiled one at a time for all to see.

The first pair of names appeared on the screens overhead.

Uraraka's face hardened. "Alright. My first match of the final stage… I can do this!"

"You may try, mon cherie, but I'm afraid this will be the end of the road for you," Aoyama teased with a wink.

Then the second.

"I'll give it my all!" Tokoyami declared, his features stern with determination.

Todoroki simply glared at him in return, his stoic gaze conveying his willpower forward without the need for words.

And the third.

Bakugo stared blankly at the screen. "Yaoyoro… who?"

"What!?" She exclaimed, her mouth agape in incredulity. "You have to be kidding me, I'm your classmate!"

The fourth.

"_Ooh, _Iida, huh?" Hatsume grinned.

Iida bowed respectfully. "Indeed, I am Iida Tenya-"

"I have _just _the right babies for you!"

Fifth.

"I can't _wait _to kick your butt, Sero!" Ashido said, her arms flying emphatically to point at him as she struck a pose on one leg.

In response, a confident grin appeared on his face as he crossed his arms. "Beat me to the punch!"

Sixth.

Denki smirked. "Hey, Jomei, huh? This should be interesting…"

"Yeah," Jomei cracked his knuckles. "_Real _interesting."

Seventh.

"Aw, yeah, time for a rematch with Takara!"

"Someone's excited…" Akiko nervously smiled. "The feeling's mutual, Kirishima."

Kirishima smashed his fists together. "Then let's do this. No holding back!"

And finally, eighth.

"Wait, so who's this Shinso guy…?" Midoriya wondered.

"Midoriya, huh? What will his deal be… only one way to find out, I suppose," Shinso murmured, and he started in the boy's direction.

At the sound of Shinso's voice, Jomei's attention finally turned away from the grand screen overhead. As a result, the only thing Jomei would recall would be that, despite Shinso and Midoriya being the last to be paired, they were the first match of the final stage.

"Hey, Shinso, where are you going?" Jomei asked.

"Off to scout the competition," he said with a dismissive wave, though he did pause to look back over his shoulder. "I'll see you two around, I'm sure."

Akiko stared at him as he walked away. "I guess that's fair enough, given his Quirk…"

"Yeah," Jomei agreed as Shinso caught Midoriya's attention. "All he has to do is test the waters of it by checking if Midoriya's the type to talk during a fight and he knows if he's in a good spot or not for their match."

"And all that scouting is hidden behind him just introducing himself to Midoriya," Akiko mentioned. "It's smart."

He looked at her. "You aren't mad at what his strategy will be?"

"It's no different than any of us scoping out the competition beforehand," she said with a simple shrug. "It's not fair that his chances of getting into the hero course were basically sabotaged by U.A. thanks to how the practical exam was designed."

Movement drew their attention back to Shinso. Evidently, whatever Shinso had said or done had alerted Ojiro to his presence, and before Midoriya could respond to whatever Shinso had said, the martial artist's tail covered Midoriya's mouth – potentially saving him from an early brainwashing. Shinso wore a disconcerting smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and walked away as Ojiro and Midoriya started conversing with one another.

"Well, there goes a high chance of Shinso having the element of surprise. He used his Quirk on Ojiro once and now that looks like it's coming to bite him," Jomei said. "Yikes."

"It's too early to say, though," Akiko argued. "We'll have to wait and see."

"True."

Then Denki coming forward caught his eye. There wouldn't be a better time between now and the start of the recreational games nor the final stage itself to approach him. It was time to finally get some answers about his involvement with Mineta.

"Hey, Jomei!" Denki greeted eagerly, waving as he walked over to meet him. "Looks like you and me are gonna have to go head-to-head in the first round. Not gonna lie, I'm kinda nervous, but what was that whole '_real _interesting' bit about? You mad about something?"

Jomei stared back disappointedly and crossed his arms. "You could say that. I'm mad because I know that you were apparently in league with Mineta's perverted little plan."

"Wait, how'd you know that?" Denki asked.

"How I know doesn't _matter, _Denki," Jomei chided. "What matters is that you basically just admitted it. I want to know why. Why the _hell _did you end up taking Mineta's side for even a _second _when you found out what sick game he was up to this time?"

"Wait a second, I don't think you have the full picture here," Denki protested, raising his hands placatingly in front of him. "You're right, how you know doesn't matter, but however you learned that I was 'on board' with what Mineta was up to, something must have been left out. Yeah, I was on board _at first, _I'll admit that, but then I realized how messed up it would've been to follow his lead and I bailed. Between Kyoka being my best friend here and you dating Akiko, I knew I couldn't go through with it. The girls in class are hot, yeah, but I wasn't about to throw all my friends under the bus just to get a good look at them. That's where I draw the line."

"So…" Jomei blinked, skeptical, "Mineta conveniently left that part out. But if that's the case, why didn't you stop him? Or warn the girls?"

"_Mineta _told you? How'd you manage that?" Denki gaped, his eyes wide in surprise.

"It doesn't matter how I managed it." Jomei frowned. Yeah, maybe Denki had bailed in the end, but he'd still known what Mineta was planning and hadn't done anything about it. "Why didn't you tell us, when you decided you wouldn't follow through?"

Denki's expression fell. "I guess I messed up. I honestly thought he wouldn't go ahead and actually _do it _without me around," Denki admitted apologetically. "He was planning on using me as backup in case the girls didn't believe him, since I don't have the same pervy rep he has."

Jomei watched Denki's face for a few seconds, and finally relaxed. After all that buildup, all that wondering about what Denki had been thinking and if he'd judged him wrong in some way all this time… it was merely a misunderstanding. One that had been purposefully crafted by Mineta to divert blame away from himself and inadvertently drive a wedge between Denki and Jomei in the process. An uncomfortable feeling settled in Jomei's gut as he quickly recognized how far he'd jumped the gun with his suspicions aimed at his friend.

A friend that had thrown himself into harm's way to protect him and Akiko back at the USJ.

"Hey, Denki," Jomei started.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry about getting all mad at you," he apologized earnestly. "I shouldn't have doubted you for a second, and I should've questioned Mineta more when he tried to make me think you were just as much to blame as him."

"Sorry about not telling you about that whole plan," Denki said. "Thinking about it now, it was pretty dumb of me to think Mineta wouldn't try to go ahead with it anyway, even without backup. I mean, he's _Mineta._"

"So we're both idiots then," Jomei smirked.

Denki nodded. "Yeah. We can at least both agree Mineta's a pile of garbage though, right?"

"Yep."

"Looking forward to being able to try and kick my ass with no hard feelings?"

"_Yep._"

The pair shared a laugh, and Jomei's heart warmed at the reminder of his friend's characteristic good nature. "Seriously though, I'm looking forward to our match," he said. "All because you don't have all that much in terms of ranged attacks doesn't mean I'll underestimate you."

"And all because you've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve doesn't mean that I can't try and figure out some way to beat you back," Denki responded. "I wasn't lying when I said this was going to be interesting, you know."

Jomei nodded, but more inference and pondering about what his fight with one of his best friends would entail would have to wait. Apparently, as Denki had sought out his opponent to speak with him before the festival continued, so too did many other pairs. Just then, Kirishima's familiar spiky red hair blurred as he jogged past them.

"Takara!" Kirishima called as he slowed, and Akiko turned. "Figured I'd go ahead and find ya before the next round starts. First I end up in the finals and now I get the chance to go toe-to-toe with you again? It's got my manly spirit all pumped up!"

"You really are excited about a rematch against me then, huh," Akiko observed.

Kirishima's hands turned to fists in front of him. "Totally! I mean, why wouldn't I be? Back during the battle trials, I didn't know what your deal was, but now we've been around each other for long enough to know a thing or two about what both of us can do. It's gonna be a real battle of manly spirits where our match comes up."

"I'm assuming that your definition of manly is different than what I'm thinking…" Akiko nervously chuckled.

"What?" Kirishima faltered. "Oh, yeah! I mean, girls can be manly too! To me, being manly is all about having a big heart and the will to act – no hesitation! There are some heroes out there that have manliness coming out their ears, guys and girls both, and I want to be just like 'em!"

"That's an admirable goal, Kirishima," Akiko said with a smile. "I do look forward to our match, too. It'll be the first chance both of us will have to get scouted based off of our own talents…"

Kirishima bared his sharp teeth in a grin, staring down at his hands for a moment. "This is where things really start getting amped up… win or lose, _this final stage is gonna be awesome!_"

Jomei smiled fondly as he witnessed Akiko giggle at Kirishima's exuberance. It wasn't an elated laugh, like the one she'd had when she found out she and her team had made it into the top four of the cavalry battle, but it was one that reassured Jomei that she was still in the right place. She was fine with her opponent, and vice versa, though he knew that whether she was okay with being watched in the flesh by so many spectators remained to be seen.

Only time would tell now, Jomei supposed. No use in assuming she'd be nervous by default and making her feel like he didn't have faith in her. If she needed him at any point, he'd be there for her, and they both knew that.

_"Alright! Now that the fighters' little meet-and-greet is over with, let's press pause for a temporary interlude!" _Present Mic trumpeted. _"It's time for some pulse-pounding side-games!"_

Confetti blasted into the air and music blared to life around the arena as the crowd's cheering reignited. Jomei looked around at the sudden change of atmosphere, admiring the energy that had so suddenly been brought forth again, but eventually settled his attention back on his girlfriend and the others.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?"

"Play!" Denki instantly answered. "I won't use my Quirk in these side-games, sure, but it'll still give me way more time to get noticed by any pros out there!"

Kirishima hooked an arm around Denki's shoulders and jabbed a thumb into his own chest. "Ditto! Nothing like nonstop action to keep the adrenaline pumping! What about you, Takara? You in?"

Akiko's lips tightened thoughtfully. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll probably sit out the games and relax for a little while. Rest my body, focus my mind, that kind of stuff."

"I'm with her, then," Jomei said. "Have fun out there though!"

"Already on it. Come on, Kaminari, let's do this!" Kirishima cheered.

Denki sprung into step behind him as he started jogging off. "Right behind you!"

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jomei asked once he and Akiko were alone. "Do you want to find Shinso or…?"

Akiko hummed. "I say we let him be, for now. Since he's the first match he's probably going to want to spend the next few minutes figuring out how he's going to try and fight Midoriya, so… I think he would want to be alone. We'll find him after his match is over."

"Sounds good to me." Jomei started walking towards a far-off wall alongside her. "I guess we could probably do the same in the meantime. Plan things out, get in the zone, maybe even do some people watching from the sidelines… it'll be fun."

"Or we could just enjoy some time alone together and talk about whatever random stuff comes to mind," Akiko said. "After all, it's not like that's ever gotten old, right?"

Jomei beamed. He wasn't about to argue with that.

* * *

Within the confines of one of the two tunnels designated for the first two competitors of the final stage to emerge from, Hitoshi watched Cementoss use his Quirk to finish constructing the arena within the field. Cement flowed like water from an oversized hose, bathed in a faint green glow as it passed by Cementoss' blocky fingers and shaped itself into an ever-growing fighting stage. It was massive, raised a good few meters off the ground with four unlit braziers at each corner of the square expanse, and it had all come into existence in a mere handful of minutes after the recreational games had ended. Such was the power of the Pro Hero's Quirk.

He leaned deeper into the side of the tunnel, already fatigued. In the distance, Cementoss shifted as he said something through his earpiece.

Present Mic's voice filled the stadium not long after. _"Hey sports fans! Cementoss is almost done making the arena! _Are you ready!?_"_

Encouraging cries and excited exclamations exploded from the stands in response. With the fighting stage completed and all the other first-years neatly corralled into their respective private spectator's booths, the start of the final event of the first day of the Sports Festival couldn't be all that far behind.

Hitoshi's expression didn't budge.

_"After all the action you've witnessed, it's time for the real battle to begin!" _Present Mic proclaimed. _"Can you feel the excitement? Our competitors are all on their own now, as sometimes heroes only have themselves to rely on…! Heart. Skill. Strength, wisdom, courage! They're going to have to use all these things to _rise _to the top!"_

Cementoss began rolling back the hose towards another entrance, and Hitoshi released an unveiled sound of contempt for the pomp and circumstance playing out before him. For all the fanfare and hype the Sports Festival's final stage was trying to imbue the spectators and its participants with, he saw through it all for what it really was.

An injustice.

Perhaps it wasn't an intentional one, but it was one that all heroes perpetuated with their modern incarnations' mere existence within the context of contemporary hero society. It was an injustice against those individuals without flashy Quirks, without flashy personas, marketable looks, and a pedigree behind them to be extraordinary in everything they did. Hitoshi had never been one of the people that could tick those proverbial boxes. As such, even without the Sports Festival putting the ideals of Japan's present hero society on blast, it was easy for him to observe how much of an utter sham all of it was.

He wondered even now if anyone other than people like Akiko and Nishimura could even _begin _to understand what it would be like to be someone like him. Someone who had a one-note, powerful, but visually subtle Quirk that was almost the antithesis of the downright garish amount of flare everyone expected nowadays.

But what was he thinking? Of _course _they wouldn't. Unless they were in his shoes from the beginning, they never would. All those involved in the hero world cared about was the aesthetic appeal, the iconography, the merchandise and stories they could sell themselves with.

Of course, his mild irritation wasn't solely caused by the needlessly elaborate festival playing out before him. No, he was also irritated that Class 1-A's damned monkey – Ojiro, or whatever his name was – had possibly told Midoriya about his Quirk, and it was all due to _his _oversight. He was the one who had decided to use Brainwashing on the guy to get him off his back after the obstacle race, and so he had no one to blame but himself for what may or may not have happened when he and Midoriya were all alone.

Besides, even if he personally wasn't smart enough to figure out the details, Midoriya _had _to be. He'd made it in first in the first stage of the festival, and Hitoshi wasn't about to underestimate someone who'd ended up triumphing over all the other powerhouses that were bound to be in the hero department.

He tried to assure himself not all was lost, though.

Midoriya may have some brains on his side, but so did Hitoshi. In the brief few words he'd been able to speak to Midoriya before Ojiro had butted in and interrupted their conversation, he'd been able to glean that Midoriya was nothing if not gullible. He had that pure heart nonsense going on in him that heroes were always on about these days, so even if Midoriya had some powerful Quirk behind him Hitoshi hadn't been able to notice, he could still do this.

Cleverness could overcome brute strength, after all. All he had to do was be smart about what he said and did, and maybe he could really do what so few in the long history of U.A. had ever been able to do… beat the hero course where they were strongest.

In combat.

The four braziers of the concrete stage flared up, spewing fire high into the air.

Hitoshi pushed himself off the wall and prepared to enter the arena as Present Mic's commentary continued. _"Alright audience, let's cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer! Welcome our first fighters!"_

Overhead, the screen displaying Present Mic flashed to display Hitoshi and Midoriya, a blue background and a fiery versus sign along a jagged white line separating their pictures. Hitoshi appeared as reserved as ever, whereas his opponent looked like he was shivering in his boots to have had his picture taken.

_"Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn't he? It's Midoriya from the hero course!"_

As he emerged, the cameras focused in on Midoriya's face to display the shaky smile on his face.

_"But of course, it takes two to make this one-on-one fight happen! So his opponent? Shinso Hitoshi from general studies, who _really _hasn't done anything to stand out yet!"_

"Of course he'd say that…" Hitoshi whispered as he started his ascent up the steps into the fighting stage. "_Prick._"

_"The rules are simple! Immobilize your opponent or move him out of the ring!" _Present Mic explained cheerfully. _"You can also win by getting the other guy to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! So cast your morals aside and don't be afraid to play dirty!"_

Shinso idly rubbed the back of his neck as Midoriya determinedly cracked his knuckles.

_'Oh, don't worry. I will.'_

_"But of course, no life-threatening crap, folks! That's not allowed! Real heroes use their powers to throw villains in jail, not kill them!"_

Cementoss raised a throne out of the concrete of the side of the arena with a wave of his hand and sat down. "I'll stop anyone who tries to get too rough."

_'Well, no reason to wait… time to see if I can bait him again. Salvage the situation.'_

"So you can just give up, huh?" Hitoshi began, causing Midoriya to jolt to attention. "In a way, this is a test of how strong your spirit is. If you know what you want your future to hold for you, you can't afford to worry about what other people think."

_"Are you READY!?" _Present Mic squealed. _"Begin!"_

"That monkey thinks he's some paragon for stopping you from talking to me." Hitoshi inclined his head. "Honestly, though, I think he's just some superstitious idiot who doesn't have his head on straight after losing the cavalry battle."

Midoriya paused, surprised, but it wasn't long before his features twisted into a fierce scowl in response to one of his peers being insulted. His hands clenched and he began running in Hitoshi's direction.

Heroic to a fault.

Midoriya growled. "Don't you _talk about him that way-!_"

A mental flick of a switch was all it took, and Hitoshi's opponent stopped dead. "That's it. I win."

_"Hey, hey! What's the dealio?!" _Present Mic shouted. _"This is the first match – it should start out with a bang! The fight has just begun, and Midoriya Izuku is… completely frozen!?"_

* * *

**Authors Note:**** So yeah… this chapter happened. I realize that I quite literally extrapolated a one-scene joke concerning Mineta & Denki's perviness into literally a good chunk of this chapter, but **_**damn **_**was it cathartic to make Mineta suffer, if only a little. Besides, it sets up Jomei's views on the perv a little more, and it's not like I could ignore the implications of what it'd mean for Denki's character if he just chilled with Mineta for a while and that little thread went nowhere. He's still Denki, just… slightly different. Better? Now that's a matter of opinion.**

**Regardless, Jomei & Hitoshi bond a little more at lunch and the indigo-colored, sleep-deprived boy we love gets some more depth alongside general studies itself. That latter part was all accidental, really, but exploring why general studies even **_**exists **_**at U.A. was just a fun worldbuilding opportunity I didn't wanna miss. In MHA canon general studies may not be important, but that's where speculation comes in! And **_**man **_**does it feel good!**

**As did setting up the start of the tournament, **_**at long last! **_**Some things will be the same, others different (big shocker, I know) in ways you will hopefully kinda maybe sorta not see coming, but one thing is for certain! Jean remains a ball of pure energy and is lovely to write alongside Thad, and Hitoshi is… uh… well, we'll have to wait and see, eh?**


	25. The Bad Guy

"Midoriya isn't moving a muscle!" Present Mic announced from the booth, surprise baked deeply into his tone. Beyond the confines of the room, the crowd's constant energy faded into a shocked silence. "And what's with that look on his face? It's so empty! Could this be a Quirk at work? Shinso Hitoshi seems to have Midoriya Izuku completely stunned! He didn't stand out during the first rounds at all, but it's possible that this Shinso's actually _crazy _powerful! Who could have imagined this turn of events? But that's just the Sports Festival for ya, am I right folks?!"

Present Mic let out an excited laugh at the upset, clearly reveling in the marketable potential this round of the tournament could sell.

For all the innumerable complaints he held at bay whenever he was around his long-time friend during his more energetic moments, Aizawa had to admit U.A. had made the most logical decision in choosing Mic as the festival's main announcer.

Even if the event itself repeatedly thwarted any attempts he made at resting his eyes.

More related to the task at hand, however, Aizawa noticed once again that his earlier observations about one of the fighters below were true – that Shinso was someone he needed to pay close attention to. He'd noticed him during the first round of the festival, and he saw a level of wit and cleverness behind Shinso's use of his Quirk that even Present Mic hadn't noticed despite his dedication to hyping up everyone he could in the festival.

Aizawa saw beyond his unassuming appearance though, and so he paid attention to Shinso where Present Mic merely overlooked him entirely. Although he couldn't recall much about his Quirk out of the dozens of participants' powers he had to read up on, he saw potential in Shinso, and the boy had piqued his curiosity more in the first event than even some of his own kids in Class 1-A had. He knew of his students' Quirks, and so not many of them had surprised him with their strategies during the obstacle race.

Shinso was an unknown though, and Aizawa had found himself thoroughly entranced by his performance during the first stage alone. And so, if for no other reason than a fleeting and utterly illogical feeling in his gut, Aizawa knew this kid deserved his undivided attention.

Shinso had continued to earn that attention during the second stage as well. For someone he would've thought would be keener to take upon a leadership position in any team he ended up with, his submitting himself to the role of the front horse on Team Takara had been a surprising one. Despite this, as the second stage wore on and Team Takara's strategy became clear, it became obvious that this choice was driven by logic, as was his role as his allies' ace in the hole when time started running out.

The first stage had proven Shinso had a keen intellect and a strategic mind.

The second stage had proven his tenacity and willingness to set aside his own ego when necessary to achieve victory.

The third and final stage would be a test of the combination of these traits, as well as his combat instinct if push came to shove and the fight devolved into a battle of brawn instead of brains.

Currently, his match against Midoriya was one of the latter, which led Aizawa to assume that Shinso held the advantage. This assumption was proven correct when Shinso had activated his Quirk on Midoriya, but it also confirmed for the umpteenth time something he knew was indeed an undeniable, fundamental flaw in Japan's most prestigious hero academy.

"This is a perfect example of why the entrance exam isn't rational," he grumbled, not taking his eyes off of the combatants below.

Present Mic took his finger off the announcement key and looked over at him with earnest confusion on his face. "Huh? Why's that?"

"Well, since we're on to the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors." Aizawa held up two papers in one of his bandaged hands. "As you may recall, Midoriya passed the practical exam with flying colors due to throwing himself into danger to save one of his fellow applicants, later identified as Uraraka, who also made it through due to her preventing him from being harmed shortly thereafter. Unlike her, though, Shinso failed the practical exam and only emerged unscathed from the situation because of Takara's timely intervention, since she happened to be in the same battle center at the time. As a result, he was given no other choice but to default into general studies. Otherwise, he wouldn't have qualified to be admitted to U.A. whatsoever."

He narrowed his eyes at the pages, as if the inanimate paper had wronged him by its statement of the objective truths concerning the events long since passed. "But his Quirk is incredibly strong, you said it yourself. Despite this power, though, that entrance test consisted of fighting faux villains. Robots. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off, leaving those without abilities capable of immobilizing or otherwise damaging their inanimate opponents at a complete loss by default. Shinso has displayed a great deal of skill throughout the festival so far, but back there…"

His grip on the papers tightened, and the paper crinkled in his hands. Present Mic's shoulders slouched, and his features softened alongside his normally high-strung voice.

"Shota…" he said softly.

Aizawa felt his shoulders tense. "Back there… Shinso never stood a chance at passing."

And in a society now built upon the extraordinary and the desire to succeed, Aizawa couldn't think of a greater injustice than being victimized by institutional irrationality.

* * *

"So here we are," Hitoshi said plainly as he looked into the empty eyes of his Quirk's latest victim. "You're lucky to have been so blessed, Midoriya Izuku. You made it into the hero course. You made it this far in the festival. But I'm afraid this is going to be as far as you get."

Midoriya's stunned eyes stared back and he paused. He debated for the briefest instant if regret over his opponent's imminent defeat was something he could even consider feeling, but he quickly eschewed that notion. Midoriya had the help of that monkey in Class 1-A, and even the dumbest bastard on earth would be able to tell that one needed to be cautious around someone like Hitoshi, regardless of whether they had figured out the intricacies of his Quirk or not.

Yet Midoriya had disregarded that caution with only the simplest nudge of an insult.

That knowledge made his next words that much easier to say.

His reserved expression didn't budge as he spoke. "Now turn around and walk out of bounds like a good little hero."

The command flowed through the air like a breeze, and Midoriya's breath stopped for a moment as it apparently registered with his brainwashed mind. There was no doubt that Midoriya's conscious mind would have heard it too, but any autonomy he held over his body had been handed to Hitoshi the moment he was provoked. He'd be able to do nothing but watch what came next from within his own head.

Midoriya turned around and started wandering towards the edge of the ring, exactly as instructed.

"_Eh… _WHAT!?_" _Present Mic gasped. _"Midoriya is obeying him!"_

Out of the corner of his eye, Hitoshi picked up on a rumble of activity in the Class 1-A stands in the distance. Some of Midoriya's presumed compatriots stood in surprise, Ojiro's distinct silhouette bristled with clear unease and frustration, and most everyone else had the same kind of dumb shock on their faces that Hitoshi had long since become familiar with. It almost struck him as pathetic that none of them could fathom their comrade falling victim so easily.

Let alone one from the _failures' _course.

He noticed Akiko and Nishimura last, and they remained relatively at ease, though Hitoshi was sure that in some ways they'd be the ones who were watching him more intently than anyone else in the arena. Them seeing him use his Quirk against Honenuki of 1-B in the chaotic cavalry battle was one thing; seeing him use it in a one-on-one scenario was another matter entirely.

If anyone at U.A. would understand his blunt efficiency though, it would be them. They were the only two people worth a damn to him that didn't see his Quirk's present use in the same light nearly everyone else in Japan had all his life.

He noticed Present Mic regain his confident vigor in the background. As the announcer started going on about how his Quirk wasn't that flashy but tried to hype him up in that hollow way only a fame-hungry pro could, Hitoshi tuned him out. He wouldn't waste his energy paying attention to the words of someone who had downright disregarded him before the final stage started up.

Hitoshi flicked his attention back to his opponent.

Midoriya was brainwashed, sure, but that didn't mean Hitoshi could afford not to pay attention to him. He was essentially neutralized, but he was still part of the hero course, and it seemed only fitting that a hero-in-training like him would at least _try _to pull off some desperate stunt to escape the mental snare Hitoshi had put him in. The likelihood of such a plan's success didn't matter, though; not as much as what it would mean if such a gambit _did _pay off.

Hitoshi harbored no delusions about his strength. He was dedicated to getting into the hero course, but he never saw the need to put himself through the hellish physical training aspiring heroes did to get stronger. With his Quirk, he'd never thought he would ever have a need, but Midoriya was a different story. He had probably put himself through such a regimen and continued it in his hero training, and Hitoshi wasn't about to underestimate what strength Midoriya may have been hiding underneath his plain appearance.

Not that it would matter, of course.

Before any of this brawn he'd built up could come into play, Midoriya would have to break himself out of his brainwashing. The stilted steps Midoriya's puppeteered body took forward were slow, sure, but there had never been a time where someone had broken themselves out of Brainwashing of their own accord. To do so would require either a large stimulus or Hitoshi's command, and he was sure Midoriya wouldn't be provided with either.

Despite most assuredly being warned by Ojiro about his Quirk… Midoriya had still lost it all with a single response. It almost made Hitoshi feel pity for the fool.

_Almost._

He watched with unbridled apathy as Midoriya took another step towards his defeat.

* * *

In the stands, despite Jomei's attention being firmly on the match below as Midoriya took his first step towards the edge of the ring, he found himself well aware of what was transpiring in 1-A's viewing booth.

"_Grrrah!_" Ojiro growled, leaping to his feet and clamping his hands around the back of his tense neck. "I warned him not to say anything! Come on Midoriya, what did I stop you from talking to that guy for?! I tell you everything went blank when I talked to him and you fell for his tricks anyway!? _Come on!_"

"Uh, Ojiro?" Hagakure asked, presumably looking up at him with wide, invisible eyes. "Are you okay? Where's all this coming from?"

His tail swirled around him in random, tense patterns as he tore his eyes away from the match below. "Where is all this coming from? That guy down there, Shinso, did something to me before the cavalry battle and I can't even remember what happened after until he was long gone! I stopped Midoriya from talking to him to warn him about what happened to me! Midoriya promised he'd try his best to get back at that creep for whatever he did, but now _this _happened…!"

Ojiro let out another groan of frustration and Uraraka nervously tapped her knuckles together as Midoriya took another step. "Oh no, Deku, what're you doing!? Snap out of it!"

Iida flailed his arms around wildly. "He can't just walk out of the ring! He'll lose the match if he does!"

Aoyama paled and held his stomach as his thoughts came out in an uneasy whisper. "Such an unpleasant feeling… I can only hope you're released from your mental cage soon, Midoriya."

Out of all the reactions Class 1-A had, though, one of them stood out above the rest.

In his periphery, Jomei saw a complete lack of motion coming from Bakugo. He was one row higher than him and Akiko, a wide margin away from the rest of the class, and on the second-highest row of 1-A's reserved booth. Kirishima was with him, but it was Bakugo's expression that really caught Jomei's eye – or rather, the complete lack thereof. Instead of looking mad or smug or even the slightest bit satisfied at Midoriya's predicament, Bakugo appeared calm, almost _solemn _in how neutral his features were as he watched the match below.

It was almost unsettling, but then Jomei's encounter with Midoriya after the battle trials came to mind. More specifically, something Midoriya had said came to mind.

_"We were friends."_

At the time, Jomei hadn't put that much stock in the statement. Perhaps Midoriya had seen Bakugo as a friend, but to Jomei, it had been clear that the inverse didn't hold up for Bakugo's perception of him in turn. If it were, he wouldn't have downright _brutalized _his once-friend back then without showing even a hint of regret in his actions.

But now, seeing how Bakugo looked when Midoriya's chance at making it to the next match was being so suddenly threatened…

Seeing Bakugo act somewhat human made Jomei wonder where all Bakugo's animosity towards Midoriya came from.

But there wasn't time to consider that right now, and more importantly for his mental sanity, Jomei didn't have the time nor inclination to investigate. He'd promised himself to let Bakugo be so long as he wasn't an overt bully. Class 1-A had rapidly caught on to his true nature and elected to give him a wide berth whenever possible, and Jomei wasn't about to disrupt all that only to give himself another headache. Midoriya and Bakugo could settle their differences in their own way or let them simmer for all eternity.

Thankfully, movement demanded his attention elsewhere.

Uraraka ran down the booth's stairs and threw herself against the railing, her hands cupped around her mouth to amplify the desperate plea she aimed straight at Midoriya.

* * *

It was as Midoriya neared the edge of the ring that Hitoshi finally spoke up again.

"Even with a Quirk like this," he intoned, "I have my own dreams of becoming a hero, and I won't let anyone stand in the way of that. So, Midoriya… lose for me."

With Midoriya's second step out of the arena, Hitoshi's ear twitched in the direction of 1-A's booth as a feminine voice shouted out into the arena. "_Come on, Deku! _You can do it! We believe in you! _I _believe in you – so don't you give up all because of some stupid Quirk! Snap out of it and win this thing!"

Despite the din of rumbling unease that had permeated the stadium since the moment he used his Quirk, Hitoshi heard the girl's words loud and clear. Craning his neck, he saw her face twisted in tense anticipation. Hitoshi's expression didn't budge, though his shoulders did drop a hair at the sheer emotion behind her cry.

He then returned his gaze to focus on Midoriya once again. No matter how desperately that girl may have wanted her classmate to win this fight, her words alone wouldn't be enough to break Midoriya out of his brainwashing. Her hope would be in vain.

But as Midoriya started his final step, an almost imperceptible twitch of his fingers caused Hitoshi's heart to skip a beat. Two fingers on his opponent's left hand curled and tensed, bringing Hitoshi to unnervingly stiff attention.

_'Is he…?'_

It was like a bomb.

In less than a second after Midoriya's fingers had moved of their own accord, they suddenly pointed down and ejected a force that boomed like thunder through the arena. Winds gusted with the unrelenting force of a typhoon, forcing Midnight, Hitoshi, and some of the closer spectators to desperately shield themselves from the debris the onslaught picked up in its maw.

As the storm raged around them, Hitoshi lifted his head. Midoriya was hunched over at the very edge of the fighting stage, chest heaving, cold sweat beading on his brow, and his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. His fingers were purple, bruised and broken, but before Hitoshi was an undeniable truth.

Midoriya had escaped his brainwashing.

Dread sank into Hitoshi's gut, and his stomach twisted into knots.

_'How'd he…'_

The girl. She had to have done it. There was no other explanation – her words, her desperate cry must have reached Midoriya's conscious mind so deeply and powerfully that he'd managed to act on his own and jerk himself out of the grasp of his brainwashing. It was the only possibility Hitoshi could comprehend being the reason behind the upset, and it made him furious.

When he caught his breath, Midoriya glared menacingly over his shoulder, his arm entirely limp at his side.

In his indignation, Hitoshi tried to disregard it. "No… that shouldn't be possible!"

_'Fine, so it is! He's still the same gullible kid as before, so go ahead and try again!'_

"You shouldn't have been able to fight back!" He shouted. "What did you do!?"

Suddenly, Midoriya clamped a hand over his mouth to stop his response, though he made no other movements yet. It made the sudden fire boiling in Hitoshi's gut boil even hotter.

_'Don't you ignore me, damnit!'_

"HOW!?" Hitoshi yelled, his voice cracking as his voice exploded from his throat. "How'd you do it!? How'd you break out of my Quirk when I had you dead to rights!? _Tell me!_"

The silence he received was damning.

_'He won't answer… so did he figure it out? No… he _has _known, though, ever since that monkey in 1-A must have told him! But… I have to get him to talk again.'_

Hitoshi gritted his teeth and reeled his composure back in. Exuding tension and stress all because of one unexpected event wasn't what a hero did, even an aspiring one, and it certainly wouldn't raise his chances of getting Midoriya to talk again.

So it was back to square one, then – basic provocation.

"Come on… say something," he taunted.

Midoriya cradled his bad arm at his side and tensed, but his mouth remained shut.

Hitoshi's confident mask cracked, with a bead of sweat forming on his temple. His heart's pace hastened, and he opted to switch strategies. Taunting and insults wouldn't work, but… maybe flattery would get through to him.

It was a long shot, but he had to try.

"I didn't know you had so much power in your fingers!" He complimented, one hand on his chest as the other extended toward Midoriya. "I'm kind of jealous of you!"

Silence reigned, and Midoriya started an advance towards him.

"Thanks to the way my Quirk works, I've always been at a big disadvantage," he continued, his voice wavering, "but someone as blessed as you couldn't even come close to understanding what that feels like!"

Midoriya continued to pick up speed, his acceleration matching the same pounding of his heart that Hitoshi felt hitch in his throat with each step his opponent took. He was getting desperate. Something, _anything _had to work, right? This would be his last chance before the gap closed.

Guilt trip, then.

"You're so lucky to have such a heroic Quirk!" He shouted angrily, his entire body shaking with the force of his voice. "_It'll be so easy for you to reach your goal!_"

His opponent grimaced as he closed the final few meters, and for a moment Hitoshi thought that he saw something behind Midoriya's eyes.

Sympathy.

But no. Someone like Midoriya couldn't understand what the life of someone who'd been born with a power like Hitoshi's would've been like.

Midoriya hit him square in the chest with both of his forearms and started pushing him back with minimal effort. There wasn't time to think anymore about what he should say, even if Hitoshi wasn't on the verge of panic at how little he could do without his Quirk.

"Say something, _damn it!_"

He threw a clean punch right at Midoriya's face, and blood flew from his nostrils when the hit connected. Midoriya paused for only a second, and he earned a grip on the jacket of Hitoshi's sports uniform with his good hand before continuing to push him back.

_'No… no! This can't be it! It can't!'_

He looked behind him, and his breathing intensified when he saw how close he was to the edge.

But Present Mic had told them not to be afraid to play dirty. So he'd play dirty.

"You've got to be kidding me! Fine, you don't want to talk!?"

The next punch landed directly into Midoriya's broken fingers, and Hitoshi refused to feel even an iota of regret as his opponent's agonized screams pierced sharply through the arena and caused him to release his grip.

Anything to win.

Anything for his dream.

He whirled around as Midoriya hunched over in pain, his face warped in fury. As he got behind him, Hitoshi didn't waste a second, smashing his hands into Midoriya's face and chest to push him the rest of the way out. "Get out of this ring, you _lucky bastard!_"

Then the unthinkable happened again.

In the final meter, Midoriya used his hands – _both of them _– and grabbed onto Hitoshi's arm and collar. With an impassioned roar loud enough to deafen Hitoshi and drown out the spectators both, his grip turned into a vice as his muscles tensed. Hitoshi felt his blood run cold as he realized he could do nothing to stop what came next.

Midoriya mercilessly flipped him over his shoulder like a sledgehammer, and all the air in Hitoshi's lungs escaped him as his spine was brutally slammed into the concrete.

In his vision, amidst a sea of darkness, all he could see were stars.

In his ears, there remained only silence.

He would've almost preferred that the crowd had cheered. At least then he wouldn't have had to hear what came next.

"Shinso is out of bounds!" Midnight declared. "Midoriya advances to the next match!"

And _then _the spectators' excitement returned. To Midoriya, their adoring cries may have sounded like triumphant cheers. Congratulations and verbal accolades that validated his heroism in the face of adversity. The beginning of his heroic story in the eyes of the whole of Japan.

To Hitoshi though, it sounded like unbridled, unrelenting laughter. Mockery all aimed at him.

The one who failed.

Again.

He shut his eyes in an attempt to let it all simply fade away.

* * *

Hitoshi's mind wandered back three years ago, at Nabooh City Middle School. An incredibly simpler time in his life, albeit no less difficult than the dilemmas that vehemently opposed him in the modern-day.

_He stared out the window from his desk through another pair of seated, conversing students in his homeroom class. The cherry blossom trees outside were in full bloom and their pink petals fell and drifted delicately in the breeze. It was calming, almost cathartic, and for a moment Hitoshi let himself forget all of his worries._

But it would seem that peace could _only _last for a moment.

One of his peers approached him, and Hitoshi looked up. "Hey, Shinso! I just heard that your Quirk is brainwashing – that's so cool!"

Another boy, spindly and slouching even as he stood, joined him. "Seriously! I can't think of anyone who's had that kind of power before!"

A portly girl with fat lips and gaudy hair joined them, her nasally voice arriving there long before her body followed. "I'm so jealous, Shinso…"

"Dude, imagine all the cool stuff you could do controlling people!" the first boy continued, arms crossed in front of him.

The second suddenly clenched his fists, a lecherous look crossing his face as he followed his peer's line of reasoning. "Yeah, you could do any bad thing you want!"

"And no one would ever know it was you," the girl added with a blush. "Just promise you won't make us your slaves, okay?"

Hitoshi rubbed the back of his neck as he tried, and failed, to put on a smile to join their enthusiasm. "Heh… everyone always says that…"

Of course, had he never been born with the power he possessed, Hitoshi would've thought that anyone with his Quirk would use it for evil, too. He wasn't a saint, and he never pretended to be one either. He could judge others based on superficial aspects of their personalities or what they looked like or what their Quirks were the same as anyone else, but he'd come to understand all too well what _everyone_ thought when they learned of what his power let him do.

_"Sounds criminal, Shinso. The perfect Quirk for a _villain_ to have…"_

No matter how hard he tried to deny it, Hitoshi couldn't find it in him to deny such a claim. Had he been in any of their shoes, he'd be right there with them in that observation, but as it stood, that wasn't the case.

He was the one who had been born with Brainwashing as his Quirk.

He was the one who'd always be judged more harshly than others by default.

He was the one that everyone always avoided.

People would always look at him in awe or disgust when they thought he wasn't looking. No matter what school he went to, rumor would spread, or a class assignment about analyzing one's own Quirk would come up, and any success he may have found at keeping Brainwashing a secret would crumble. After that, without fail, those around him would spread the knowledge of his Quirk around like wildfire and he'd be left to deal with the consequences.

Many would whisper insults beneath their breath. They'd mark him as a waste and an individual destined to become a villain by merit of his Quirk alone. Or, if they were feeling generous, they'd decide to see him as merely a danger, a _risk_ to everyone else in the school, no matter what the faculty or teachers would say to defend him.

That wasn't all, though.

Girls were the most venomous, be it by their whispered verbal remarks or their more overt physical actions taken against him. The subtle glares some of them would send him during free periods in the halls or the downright insulting lengths they'd go through to avoid being near him without arousing suspicion made it abundantly clear how little they thought of him; of how little they trusted him.

Boys didn't help with that perception, either. Their lecherous and dumb remarks about what his Quirk could let him do only reminded his female peers of the danger he posed to them, should he use his power on them. Such comments widened the divide between him and everyone else in his classes, with the rumors of the perverted potential that Hitoshi's Quirk possessed only succeeding in isolating him further from any attempts at seeking companionship.

All of it combined, and it was no wonder that Hitoshi found the idea of salvation from his inescapable depression and loneliness ludicrous. His entire life he'd been looked at like he was the bad guy, like a bomb ready to explode and ruin everyone's day for no other reason than the fact he'd been born with a power 'unsuitable' to be a hero's.

And the worst part?

He was used to it. He was _used _to people looking at him that way, even as the cruelty continued to eat away at his heart. Hitoshi looked back at the three students, fierce determination and hidden heartbreak in his tear-filled eyes. The trio of his peers stepped back slightly in surprise.

"Uh, Shinso-?"

_"You know what?" Hitoshi said shakily, but he paused to reinforce his voice with resolve. "I'm _not _a villain. _I'm going to be a hero._"_

* * *

He opened his eyes suddenly, the pain in his back far outweighed by the unexpected clamminess he felt on his skin. Evidently, he broke out into a cold sweat in the middle of his brief escape from reality, but the sensation did little to cool the fury and embarrassment he felt now that he was fully conscious again. Now that he could once again bask in how completely and utterly _rigged _against him the world was on account of nothing but his Quirk.

_Joy._

_"And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals – Class 1-A's Midoriya Izuku!" _Present Mic cheered.

Hitoshi didn't even spare a glance in his direction as he stood. He had nothing to say to him. Midoriya was the one who already had it all – he was in the hero course, had a flashy, heroic Quirk, and a little harem of followers rooting for him from the sidelines to boot. Yet he still managed to take away one of the _only chances _Hitoshi would ever have at making his dream of becoming a hero come true.

The entire time they walked back to the center of the arena, the spectators were screaming, but the two fighters were as silent as the grave. Given how pathetically heroic Midoriya seemed to be at a glance, Hitoshi wouldn't have preferred it any other way.

Present Mic's voice returned to further grate on his nerves after they got into position.

_"_Yeah! _That was actually kind of a boring first match, kids, but both of you fought bravely! Let's show them some love, everyone!"_

Applause followed the announcer's command, but Hitoshi kept his eyes locked firmly on the ground. He didn't even want to _look _at Midoriya right now.

Still, his periphery betrayed him, and he saw Midoriya wipe his bloody nose with his uninjured hand before he looked straight at him. "Why do you want to be a hero…? What's driving you?"

Hitoshi briefly considered telling Midoriya to mind his own business, but instead ended up turning around so that the hurt hidden behind his eyes wouldn't show. It was then that he spoke, his tone defeated yet still firm. "You can't help the things your heart longs for, Midoriya. You were born with everything you needed to be a hero. I wasn't fortunate enough to be blessed like you were."

He then walked away before he could say anything else. Each step he took from the fighting stage down to the field was another short descent taking him deeper into the shadow of people with infinitely more heroic Quirks than his. Somehow he knew that this time, once he crossed the threshold back into the tunnel, his goals of becoming a hero would be more aptly pronounced dead than alive.

The tunnel loomed ever larger with each moment, and he realized he was a fool for thinking he had ever stood a chance of making it.

Nothing would ever change, no matter how hard he tried.

Fate had made that abundantly clear to him today.

"You were awesome out there, Shinso!"

He froze. Looking up, he saw five of his classmates on the bottom row of the stands eagerly trying to get his attention. All of them were smiling, and for once, he didn't know what to think.

_'Did they run all the way around the arena… for me?'_

"We're proud of you!" A girl with caramel-colored hair waved eagerly.

"You didn't tell us you were that good!"

A third boy popped up from behind the second, hanging himself over the rails to get a better look at him. "Yeah, you're the star of our program!"

"I can't believe you put up such a good fight!" one last boy added excitedly. "That guy was in first place earlier and you still gave him a run for his money!"

The first boy pointed his thumb back over his shoulder, back to where the Pro Heroes' stands were located. "And if you don't believe us, listen to them!"

"With a Quirk like his…" A lizard-looking pro with a skull helmet hummed. "It could easily be used to capture dangerous villains! Hmm… wish I had it."

Another pro with an orange bandana atop her seafoam green hair grunted emphatically. "Right? I can't _believe _U.A. stuck someone like him in general studies. Ugh, those idiots…"

The high-tech helmet-wearing pro behind her crossed his arms. "Well, there are tons of applicants each year, to U.A. in particular for obvious reasons. I guess it's inevitable that some of them end up slipping through the cracks."

"If only he'd had just a little more combat experience," the lizard pro said, "he would've easily dominated this fight, no doubt about it. What a waste…"

"Hey Shinso, you hear that?" the boy continued. "You did great! Even the pros think so!"

The girl next to him threw a fist in the air. "So don't feel down in the dumps! We know you gave it everything you got, and so do the pros! You're awesome, and everyone knows it now!"

Hitoshi gazed silently at his classmates. This… this wasn't like them. Or was it? What did he _really _know about how his peers were evolving beyond the most basic level? Of how they acted when one of their own was in distress?

As it turned out, shockingly little.

Somehow, that made their words mean even more to him than anyone's, aside from Akiko and Nishimura's, ever did. Out of the corner of his eye, amidst the brief pause reality seemed to embrace in light of recent events, he watched a cherry blossom petal flutter down from above fall to his left.

And with it, Hitoshi felt an unprecedented moment of peace and clarity.

"Depending on the results…" he started determinedly. He wasn't looking back at Midoriya, but he knew his foe was listening intently when he spoke again. "They might transfer people into the hero course. Remember that, Midoriya. Even if things didn't work out this time, I'm not giving up. I'm getting onto the hero track, getting certified. And then… _I'll become a better pro than _any _of you._"

With that, Hitoshi finally looked back at him. "Got that?"

Midoriya sniffled, and nodded. "R-right!"

Another mental flick and he was brainwashed again.

Hitoshi grinned. "Heh. Usually, people tense up whenever they talk to me. If you're not on guard, someone's going to defeat you. So be careful."

He released Midoriya from his Quirk, and color returned to his eyes.

"You better not lose and make me look bad," Hitoshi commanded.

Midoriya's expression hardened after a moment of contemplation. "I won't!"

Brainwashing triggered one more time.

_'He really doesn't learn, does he?'_

* * *

As Hitoshi walked idly through the dim tunnels leading to the greater hallways of the stadium, he remained surprisingly content. Even though he had lost his first match in the final stage, and he was basically headed right back into the course no one had originally wanted to be in, he didn't feel much negative emotion at all. Granted, he wasn't particularly energized either, since this was one of the whopping total of the _three _chances he'd ever get to try and get transferred into the hero course, but he knew what he said back there to Midoriya was true.

He'd _make _it true, no matter what.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets and sauntering lazily through the tunnels, he wondered about the rest of Midoriya's peers. He already knew Akiko and Nishimura much better than he knew Midoriya, of course, but that didn't take into account all the other members of Class 1-A that he hadn't bothered to remember the names of. In light of his revelation about how little he knew about his own classmates, he wondered if his assumption of 1-A consisting of nothing more than egomaniacs was wrong, too. The three people from that hero course class he had interacted with at length were friendly, if a bit gullible in Midoriya's case, and the only exception to that rule was Ojiro, and admittedly, he actually had a good reason to be wary of Hitoshi. His initial impression would undoubtedly hold true for some of them, but still, the idea that he was _wrong _was comforting to him.

Two pairs of footsteps alerted him to the presence of others nearby, and by their haste, it didn't take him long to guess who they might belong to. He stopped and twisted around to confirm his suspicion.

"Hitoshi!" Akiko called out breathlessly before skidding to a halt. Nishimura was trailing behind her, but it was clear that he hadn't been moving with nearly as much urgency as his companion. "We came here as soon as we could after we saw what happened, and…"

"_Breathe,_ Akiko," Hitoshi deadpanned. "I'm not going to catch you if you keel over. I wasn't planning to disappear anytime soon."

Akiko nodded, and Nishimura caught up to her. "Yeah, I kind of figured you wouldn't be headed anywhere in a hurry. Still, I think we both thought that you wouldn't look so… calm, after what happened back there."

"Yeah," Akiko agreed, now having caught her breath. "We both know how much you wanted to win for a better chance of getting transferred into the hero course, so I guess what we're trying to say is… are you okay?"

"I think that from first impressions alone it should be abundantly clear that I'm not the type to throw a tantrum when things don't go my way, but to answer your question?" Hitoshi shrugged. "I'm about as fine as I can be. You put your heart on the line and sometimes you get hurt. That's the way the world works, sometimes. I know that better than anyone."

"You still did awesome though, Shinso," Nishimura complimented. "No matter what the outcome of the match was, you really don't have a clue how impressive what you managed to do was, _especially _against Midoriya."

"One of my classmates said something like that," Hitoshi said wistfully.

"And it's true!" Akiko stressed. "Midoriya's Quirk is _super _strong, and we don't even know everything it can do yet since he's still working on controlling it! Even without it mastered he managed to beat Bakugo in one of All Might's battle trials, and _he's _pretty much the best all-out fighter in Class 1-A!"

"Is Bakugo the red-eyed kid I stared down when I declared war on 1-A?"

Akiko nodded.

"Huh," Hitoshi half-chuckled. "How about that. Guess Midoriya's got more going for him than I thought. It'd certainly be easy to miss that over all that spirit and heroic nature he has in him."

"Right," Nishimura agreed. "So never give up, Shinso. If you faced literally anyone else just now, you would've beat them easy, no doubt about it."

Hitoshi made a noncommittal noise. "I didn't plan on giving up, Nishimura. Besides, did it _look _like I was giving up back there? Before I left the arena?"

"You did look kind of serious when you were talking to Midoriya…"

"Exactly." He looked determinedly at both of them in the eyes. "So believe me when I say that I'm far from finished. Because of my Quirk, I've always had to fight harder than anyone for anything that I want to get out of life, and this one loss isn't any different. All this is to me is another setback I'm going to have to overcome to become the hero I know I can be. And I _will _– that's a promise."

Akiko grinned. "You know I believe in you, Hitoshi. I believed in you back when you showed yourself to 1-A before the festival, and I didn't even know half as much about you then as I do now. I don't know how long it'll take for you to make your dream come true, but I know it's going to happen some way or another."

"Definitely." Nishimura nodded, a smirk curving one side of his lips. "You've got a crazy powerful Quirk and the brains to back it up, so I believe you'll get into the hero course too, one way or the other."

"Then… thanks. Both of you. I don't know what I did to stumble into you guys, but I appreciate the support, even if this is still something I have to do on my own." He turned around, his head held higher and his posture straighter than it had been before their arrival. "Just so you guys know though, I'm going to be focusing on what I need to do, but I'll still be around moving forward, whenever I get the chance."

"You'd better," Akiko noted.

"You think?" Nishimura added jokingly.

There was a pause where Hitoshi assumed Akiko glared at her partner. "But seriously, I know there's a lot you'll still have to do, Hitoshi. If you can't keep in touch as much, it's fine, but… remember that we'll always be here for you if you need someone to talk to. Both of us."

"I know. Thanks for that, too." He took one step forward before stopping himself. He smirked and looked at the pair over his shoulder before he continued. "And by the way? You two better give it that 'plus ultra' that U.A.'s always mentioned in your matches. I may have lost mine, but I expect better from my friends. Don't let anyone think either of you are weak, because I know for a _fact _that you're both really strong on your own. You got that?"

His friends looked at each other.

"Already planned on it, Shinso!" Nishimura grinned.

"I will!" Akiko said. "I promise!"

"Good," Hitoshi applauded. "And… goodbye, for now."

Once more, he started walking away. Shortly after, he overheard his friends making their way back the way they came. Evidently, a match between two of their peers – Uraraka and Aoyama – was designated as the second match of the final stage, and they didn't want to miss out on the fight. Seeing as he himself had quite literally no investment in either of the fighters mentioned, though, Hitoshi let himself continue to saunter lazily through the tunnels, and soon, out of the stadium. After a lifetime of being socially ostracized, even after being reinvigorated by his peers and friends' encouraging words, spending his time alone to process everything set him more at ease than being surrounded by others.

In the absence of anyone else, he let himself wander without any particular destination in mind. After he turned a corner though, the peace he felt was suddenly jerked away as he was forced to stop before he hit someone he hadn't seen coming.

And not just any someone, either.

That someone was taller, older, and stronger than him, even while recovering.

The Erasure Hero: Eraserhead.

"Uh…" Hitoshi started uncertainly as their eyes met. Whatever the hell he was supposed to say when he stumbled into an encounter with a pro was lost on him, and for that matter… "What're you doing around here, Eraserhead… sir? I was under the impression you were supposed to be busy announcing with that Present Mic guy."

"I could ask you the same thing," Eraserhead said. "Last time I checked, the general studies Class 1-C's reserved seating area is on the exact _opposite _side of the stadium from where we are, right now."

Hitoshi cringed. He didn't know what Eraserhead was up to, but he knew that he wanted _no _part of it if it meant he'd be getting in trouble due to taking some time to himself. "Sorry. In that case I'll, uh, I'll get going back to my classmates right away."

Eraserhead's voice stopped him the moment he passed by the pro. "I was looking for you, just now. I decided not to interrupt your conversation with Takara and Nishimura when I heard you guys speaking, but your conversation did confirm something I've been suspecting since the second stage."

Hitoshi turned to face him again and felt his shoulders tense with unease.

"And that would be…?"

"That it wasn't mere chance that you ended up working with Takara. Since you sought her out so quickly, I figured there might've been a connection between you two after all. Judging by how you were talking to her, I'd even go so far as to assume that the connection you share runs deeper than being mere passing acquaintances." Something changed in Eraserhead's expression that Hitoshi couldn't quite place beneath all the bandages, though his voice remained neutral. "I didn't expect someone from general studies to be associated with one of my students."

"Is that a problem, sir?" Hitoshi said uneasily.

"Not at all."

This time, Hitoshi let his confusion appear on his face, and his shoulders dropped. By the sound of things, it seemed as though he wasn't about to be in any trouble, but that still didn't explain _anything _about why Eraserhead was here. He didn't know much about the pro aside from the basics, that he could erase Quirks and preferred to operate at night, so there was a better chance of winning the lottery than guessing what motivated the hero to intercept Hitoshi here. Luckily, there wasn't a long wait to get an answer.

"After all," Eraserhead continued. "It's only logical for someone to associate with the people that'll eventually become their colleagues."

Hitoshi froze. Eraserhead was an experienced Pro Hero who still maintained active patrol duty despite being a full-time teacher at U.A. He wouldn't have any reason to lie about what he was implying, and Hitoshi didn't detect any hint of misdirection coming from him, but one important question came to his mind all the same.

"You don't mean…?" Hitoshi trailed off, his eyes wide as he shook his head in disbelief. "I- I _failed _my first match in the final stage. How could I still-"

"Think, Shinso," Eraserhead cut in. "The most important annual event in Japan is happening right now. And you were right – for all intents and purposes, I should be up in the announcer's booth with Present Mic doing my job right alongside him. So what reason would I have to scour the hallways of one of the biggest stadiums in Japan in search of a single student? What reason would I have to make you think what I know you're thinking right now?"

It didn't take long for him to draw his conclusion from there, but it didn't stop him from struggling to let out his response. "You… you want to _train _me?"

Even beneath the bandages, it was clear Eraserhead's lips tugged upwards. "I thought you were observant. I'm glad I was right. But to answer your question, I do. I won't pretend that I know everything about you Shinso, but I know that with a Quirk like yours, you were bound to be a victim of the inherent irrationality our society possesses nowadays."

"But… _why?_" Hitoshi pressed. "Why me? Why not any of the other dozens of wannabe heroes in general studies? Why not even take an interest in training one of your own students personally rather than running the risk of wasting your time with me?"

"Because unlike the other general studies students, I saw potential in you. In your strategic mind and willingness to work alongside others so long as the outcome would be beneficial to your greater goal, in the end. And unlike my students or those in Class 1-B, _you _were wronged by a system you had no control over. They were born with all the tools they needed to succeed at their disposal, while you were left at a disadvantage by birth," Eraserhead explained. "It's irrational to let your potential be wasted. I'm here to rectify that – _if _you're willing."

"_I am!_" Hitoshi shouted instantly.

"_Good._" Eraserhead praised, and he stood up a little straighter. "Now listen here, Shinso. If you want to even have a _chance _of catching up with the likes of the hero course students, you need to be ready for anything. Over the course of the next few months, your schedule will be busier than ever. I'll be expecting you to spend every free moment you have putting yourself through hell with me while also preventing your academics from suffering as a result. Your training will test your limits and force you to push beyond them, but if you persevere, I have no doubt that your chance to enter the hero course will come far sooner than you might think."

Hitoshi wondered how Eraserhead expected him to react to that. What he said seemed like both a final warning concerning the nature of his offer as well as an ultimatum describing the conditionality of his training with the pro, but neither things truly affected his decision. He'd put himself through that hell, he'd spend even more sleepless nights awake studying if it meant that he even had a chance at making his dream come true. He suspected that Eraserhead knew this too, even at a glance.

So his next response came easily.

"When do I start?"

"So you're still on board, then. Good." Eraserhead nodded his head approvingly. "Expect to begin training as soon as the festival's over. The first trials I'll put together for you will give you a _taste_ of what you can expect from our time together moving forward and will act as your final trial before I can dedicate myself fully to you. Should you continue to impress, when I recover, we'll move forward with your training full force from there. I'll contact you with more details later, and you'd do well to be ready. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Call me Aizawa-sensei, moving forward."

Without any hesitation, Aizawa then started walking back the way he came, and Hitoshi was left looking at the hero's back in complete shock. This was a scenario he'd never dared to even dream of before, but now that it was upon him, the determination he felt despite his defeat had never been greater.

Fate had tried its damnedest to dissuade him from pursuing his dreams over the years, today in particular, but that all-too-elusive force was about to have another thing coming.

Now, Hitoshi would forge his own destiny, and not a _damn thing _would be able to stop him.

* * *

**Authors Note:**** Well then, after the utter clusterfuck of shit that was going on in the last chapter, this one was one blessing and a half to be able to write. That said, the entire final stage is going to be a clusterfuck for a variety of reasons **_**so… **_**I'll savor this ease of writing while it lasts, before I manage to bumble things up with the **_**dozens **_**of other fights that'll be going on. Regardless…**

_**Fuck. Me. **_**I know I planned WFAF to be parallel to canon and I still have my own plans for the guy, but **_**fuck **_**was it still heartbreaking to write Shinso losing because Midoriya has the power of being the protag on his side. Shinso is one of my favorite canon characters (second to Kirishima bc I mean **_**come on**_**) and giving him actual **_**character **_**in WFAF prior to this fight just made it that much more impactful, for me, but I suppose that's just to show how fond I am of this project, in the end. Fun side note – I only accidentally stumbled into the Uraraka and Midoriya potential excuse for why I don't need to hint or explain the OfA Avatar Spirits thing, and I am **_**so **_**happy I rolled with it.**

**Oh, and Aizawa continues to be the best teacher in the story, even in fanfic form, so there's that. It was pretty fun for me to fill in the blanks of when Aizawa and Shinso met in the plot, as you could probably tell from the chapter, and even though Akiko and Jomei were sidelined here (and for good reason), I still like to think they had their own nice moment in the way their mutual good nature shined through after Shinso's defeat. Oh, and Jomei had his little thing with Bakugo **_**but we don't talk about that yet.**_

**So, as painful as it is to say, now that Shinso's going to have his busy schedule moving forward… I shall bid him adieu, for now. Until the next time I can help you shine a little bit more than in canon, you glorious, depressed bastard.**


End file.
